


Of Safety And Protection, Till Death Do Us Part

by madeleine334



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Children, Dragons, F/M, Falling In Love, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, Weddings, international love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-01 03:13:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 107,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20251225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madeleine334/pseuds/madeleine334
Summary: Molly Weasley receives a letter and she knows she must act. She can't let her friend continue to lose everything. She turns to her son for help. Charlie agrees to meet the man who could be his future husband.Please read the author's note.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I want to be very transparent with this. This story is not finished, nor do I have any ** current ** plans to finish it. This is because I have hit a wall. I haven't touched this story since January 2019 after months and months of writing and trying to figure out what I wanted from this story and where I wanted it to go. This, at the time, was the longest thing I have ever written. 
> 
> I do want to finish this, however, and I hope that posting what I already have will force me through this wall I have encountered. I know I just said I don't have any current plans, but I do have future plans. As in, future me will finish this, hopefully. Updates will not be regular, but I do have a bit of back log to begin with, so I do want to have a somewhat considerate schedule. I will continue writing and posting other stories during this time, but I do really want to finish this story. Quite frankly, I love it. I love writing it, I love thinking of it, and I really want to finish it.
> 
> I also want to be clear with the fact that there were a lot of things going through my mind with this story. There may be inconclusive subplots. Actually, there most definitely will be. Things may seem random and may not make complete sense, but they were things I wanted to try so I did.
> 
> This is really for me, I guess, but I would like to bring you along for the ride. Un-Beta'd

_ ‘To my dearest M.,_

_I know my previous letters were bordering on nonsensical and I wish to apologize to you. You have been the only person who I can rely on during this serious matter. Your continued support has been much appreciated, as well as greatly needed. My nerves have been frayed from the stress and day-to-day horrors that has befallen the manor. It seems that any day could be the day where I finally lose the last of my heart to the hands of some unspeakable monster from a land far from my own. This brings me to our previous conversation. You have children, all of the marrying age. My child is in desperate need of a political marriage. It is for his safety. I do wish you to consider my request. I cannot lose him. They have taken so much from me already. The Ministry has already sent files to the manor of suitors that have agreed to marry my son. The chosen ones are horrid, my dear. I could never allow them to come near my son, but I fear I may not have a choice for much longer before my son is forced into a marriage with a man that sees him nothing as a prisoner to have their way with and to punish for the sins of the father. It is not only that. I have begun receiving threats of harm and even death to my son in regard of the war and his involvement. I fear that he will always be suspected for dark magic, even as he has long been acquitted for these claims. I beg you, my dearest and closest friend. Please, consider my request. My husband may never return from Azkaban. I can no longer protect my son on my own. I need you and your family’s help._

_Yours,_

_N. _

Molly Weasley of the Weasley family read the letter and then reread the letter. The marks of dried tears were evident, smearing parts of the ink, while still staying legible enough to be read. The owl had brought it just moments ago and it pained Molly to know that her friend, as troubled as their relationship had grown, was hurting as much as she was and that her family had fallen to such horrible atrocities after the war had ended.

“Mum, what’s wrong?” Ginny, her only birthed daughter, asked.

“Nothing, dear,” Molly replied with a forced smile, quickly patting away her tears and folding up the letter.

Ginny dropped her questions, only for the fact that her mother was not ready to voice any answers.

“Now, let’s take those scones out of the oven before they begin to burn and then we can start waking up the rest of the household,” she smiled. 

The boys and their significant others had populated the Weasley household once again. Her youngest son, Ron and lovely Hermione; her only daughter, Ginny and dearest Harry; her oldest child, Bill and beautiful Fleur, and then the bachelors; Percy, who seemed to have no time for a life outside of family and his work; George, who still ran Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, but had less and less of a hand in the day-to-day running of the shop now that a full staff had been hired. Molly’s son had lost his smile after the war and he had become more reclusive because of it. Then there was Charlie Weasley, the oldest of the remaining bachelors. He was still living on the reserve in Romania, but had taken time off to see the family and was staying at the house for a few weeks.

“I’ll start knocking on doors,” Ginny informed her mother, running to the stairs like she used to as a small child when her and her mother would wake up earlier than the rest in order to fire up the oven and stove, as they had done every morning for breakfast. 

Ginny and Harry were happy together, as was Ron and Hermione at the best of times. Bill and Fleur were right for each other, while Percy may never bring himself to find time for a spouse. George had already told her that he was uninterested in any relationship that was not familial or that of a friendship. Charlie, he was the only other option. Molly was not ignorant to her son and his preferences, nor was she ignorant to the shenanigans he had gotten up to in the past, which had inspired Fred and George, no doubt. She would bring him aside and speak with him. She would do this for her friend. She could only try, despite knowing the cost it would be for her son.

*** 

His sister’s persistent knocking woke George from his slumber. Annoying as ever, he thought, but perhaps more annoying now that she had shacked up with Harry. Harry was a good friend to him, though, and always part of the family, it seemed. He should feel happier for his sister. She had chosen a good guy, at least.

Sitting up out of bed, George yawned and stretched, hearing the satisfying cracking noises his body made. Felt good to stretch. He knew better than to dally all morning, though. He’d have lost his other ear from all his mother’s yammering for not hurrying his butt out of bed and into the kitchen for breakfast. He looked over to the other half of the room, no longer used, gave out a sigh, and then got out of bed.

*** 

Ginny’s knocking startled Charlie awake, causing him to fall out of bed. The banging he had made was enough to have his sister open up the door to peek in to see if he was alright.

“Good job, you oaf,” she giggled after seeing he was still alive and kicking.

“Let’s see how you fare next time I wake you up loudly from a nice sleep,” he retorted.

“That’ll never happen,” she said.

“Oh, yeah?” he asked, getting himself untangled from the covers and finding his footing, “and why’s that?”

“You’d never wake up before me, Char. In fact, you wouldn’t wake up for breakfast if it wasn’t for someone forcing you awake.”

“Touché, little sister,” he admitted with a soft chuckle.

“Now hurry up, mum’s waiting and she has been a little off since she got a letter earlier,” Ginny told him, lowering her voice for that last part.

“What happened?” Charlie asked, concerned.

“Not sure,” Ginny frowned. “Mum won’t say anything about it.”

Charlie felt his heart constrict at the thought of what could have been said in the letter for his mother to not want to talk about it. After all, they were a pretty open family when it came to most anything.

*** 

Bill and Fleur were awake already when Ginny had knocked. They were getting dressed after they had enjoyed themselves hours before.

“Bill, we must hurry,” Fleur told her husband. “I do not wish to be late for your mother’s, urm, meal.”

“Breakfast will still be there, my love, it is not going anywhere,” except maybe onto Ron’s plate if we do take too long, his mind supplied. “Actually, we better be down there before the others if we want a good seat,” he told his beautiful wife, quickly slipping on his pajama pants.

“Oui!”

*** 

Harry had heard the door to Ginny’s bedroom open and then felt his fiancée begin to nudge his shoulder lightly. “Babe?” he mumbled, receiving a kiss on the lips as a response.

“Wake up, dear,” she said. “Breakfast is ready.”

Harry’s stomach responded to the word ‘breakfast’ and promptly growled, telling him he had better listen to what it wanted. He reached for his glasses and got out of bed.

*** 

“Come on, Ronald,” Hermione told her husband. “It’s time to wake up.”

“Five more minutes,” he mumbled, sleepily.

“No, I think you’ve had enough sleep. Besides, you know just how good your mother makes her scones.”

“Scones?” he whined, cracking open his eyes to see his wife hovering over him.

“Yes, babe. They are so fluffy and warm and best when they are fresh from the oven.”

“They are,” he agreed, still tired.

“So let’s go,” Hermione said, pulling her husband out of bed. The smell of the scones had begun seeping into the room, which woke Hermione, although she was content to cuddle longer with her husband in bed before she heard Ginny making the rounds to wake up the others.

The two had opened the door, just as Ginny lifted her fist to knock against it.

*** 

Percy had not needed his little sister’s help on waking up. Ginny was greeted to an empty room after multiple knocks on his door. He had managed to get downstairs without her knowledge at some point, probably when she went into her and Harry’s room. Regardless, that was all of them and she was able to join them all downstairs.

*** 

Breakfast went as usual. Arthur Weasley appeared after work near the beginning of the meal to join them for a quick bite, greeted everyone, and then popped off to bed for a nap. Harry and Ron talked about their jobs while Hermione and Ginny talked about the rights for magical creatures to themselves. Percy’s bed head was the source of George’s occasional jokes, jokes which had become a rare occurrence as the days passed. Charlie and Bill discussed life on the reserve, dragons, and the future with each other, all while Molly discussed recipes with Fleur, who still struggled with some of Molly’s vocabulary.

“I guess what I’m getting at is that I’m worried about you spending all your time on the reserve. It’s gotta be hard on your body and mind,” Bill said. “From my stand point, it seems like you work all hours of the day and night, only stopping to eat and sleep. I’m just worried for you.”

Charlie gave Bill a small smile. “It is hard work, but the dragons need me,” he told him, as if that calmed all of Bill’s fears. It didn’t.

“We need you, too,” Bill told him, caring as he always was. “Do you think you could ever take a few less hours? Just to give yourself a break?”

“I’m taking a break now,” Charlie replied with a grin.

“Your first break since the war, is it?”

“I wouldn’t call the war a break,” Charlie muttered, remembering the long journeys he had taken the dragons on in order to help with the fight, as well as the fear of losing one of his dragons, witnessing the loss of his precious friends, and losing his dear brother.

“That’s not what I meant,” Bill muttered, sullenly.

“Bill, amore,” Fleur said, putting her hand on Bill’s own clenched one.

Bill took in a deep breath and let it our slowly, realizing he was getting worked up. He didn’t want to say something he would regret or that would upset the entire family. It was at the tip of his tongue. He had almost said it. _ I don’t want to lose another brother. _

“Charlie, may I speak to you, dear?” Molly asked, pulling her son outside and into the garden.

“Wonder what they’re talkin’ ‘bout,” Ron piped in with a full mouth and food on his chin.

*** 

“Mum, I swear I’ll pull back on a few work hours,” Charlie began once they were out of ear shot from the rest of the Weasley clan.

“It’s not that, dear,” Molloy told her son. “Well, not just that.”

“It’s not?” Charlie asked, confused until he saw his mother pull out a letter. A letter that Ginny had mentioned when she went to wake him. “Mum? What is it?”

Molly gave her son a sad smile as she opened the letter. “I need to ask you something,” she told him.

“Anythin’,” he told her, putting his large hand on her shoulder in a way of comfort.

“Well, I have a friend that has been sending me letters. They are mostly in secret, due to the circumstances.”

“Mum, are you in trouble?” Charlie asked, jumping to conclusions.

“No, no, nothing like that,” she assured. “It’s nothing about me.”

“Then what is it?”

She paused, trying to approach the subject with her son in a way that would be easier than just getting into the meat of things, but decided this would be easiest. “I think it may be about you,” she admitted.

*** 

Ron, Bill, Harry, and Ginny crowded around the small kitchen window that looked out into the garden, trying to figure what was going on with their mother and the eldest boy of the family, while the others sat at the table, continuing to eat and wait for any news. Was she trying to finally convince him to move back to Britain? Had she gotten fed up with his excruciating work hours as Bill had? Or was it something else that they had not thought of yet or even known of?

“Mum got a letter today,” Ginny told them, her voice soft and her expression that of worry for her mother and brother.

*** 

“Narcissa and I have been friends since school,” Molly told her son.

“What does that have to do with me?” he asked confused.

“I’m getting to that,” she told him with a whack on the shoulder with the letter. “She has recently begun writing to me about her son. He has been threatened by the Ministry and the wizarding community for the past few months. The Ministry has plans to marry him off to some foreign ambassador, Ministry head, or another older fart and probably corrupt bastard to keep him in line.”

“How is that even a possibility? Forced marriages are illegal,” Charlie said.

“It’s only possible in their case because Narcissa’s son was working with, well, his father and You-Know-Who,” she said, still feeling the evil in the name. “They believe that marrying him to someone in a position of political power with elevate the Ministry’s power against the remaining dark magic wielders and make an example out of Narcissa’s son. She is worried for him and contacted me. He was forced into working for You-Know-Who, that’s the only reason he’s not in Azkaban.”

“Mum, what are you asking me?” Charlie asked beginning to understanding what his mum was getting at with the explanation.

“Charlie, if you marry her son, just as a political marriage, it would save him.”

“Who is he?”

Molly Weasley took a breath and looked her son in the eye. “Draco Malfoy needs our help, Charlie. He needs your help.”

*** 

“Wait, somethin’ is happenin’, “Ron said, watching his mother tell Charlie something that was, by Charlie’s reaction of open mouth and wide eyed at her, very shocking, indeed.

“Mum speaks so that her lips can’t be read,” Bill explained, “we have no idea what she’s saying.”

“So we can’t ever eavesdrop,” Percy added.

“Hopefully everything is okay,” Hermione said, receiving a half hug of support from Fleur.

*** 

“Well?” Molly asked, seeing as her son had not given her a reply or anything to her answer of naming Narcissa’s son.

“I,” Charlie began, “I-I just,” he began pacing. “I need to think,” he told her before plopping down on a large stone.

“It is asking a lot,” Molly said, feeling guilty to put this on her son’s shoulders, but knowing she had to do _ something _ for her dearest friend.

“Yeah, it is,” her son said, massaging his temple with his finger tips.

“Draco doesn’t have much longer,” Molly whispered, mostly to herself.

Charlie let out a sigh, “I...will agree to meet with him,” he decided. “Somewhere open and public, we can go to Diagon Alley. Walk around, talk a bit,” he said before adding, “Get to know each other.”

“Charlie,” Molly said, crouching down to guy her son, graciously. “Thank you.”

“It’s not a yes.” Charlie hugged her back. “Why the Weasley family, mum? Why me?”

“We are still considered a pure blood family, so the Ministry can’t stop it. Besides, this family did a good deal in the war and the reputation helps. Couldn’t stop us if they tried,” she winked and smiled. “Dear, I chose to ask you because you are kind hearted and always willing to help, but I know this is asking a lot. You agreed to meet him and that is more than I believe most of your siblings would agree to. You also fancy blokes,” she softly laughed, “so that helps.”

Charlie scoffed at his mother’s answer, amused and maybe a bit happy to know his mum thought of him as a kind person. “Not sure if I can argue with that,” he told her. He wasn’t going to admit to his mother that he did find the Malfoy boy, aged the same as his youngest brother and Harry, quite attractive, even if he was a bit uncomfortable with the age difference. “I’m going to have to keep my past opinions of him put there by Ron away from our meet up, aren’t I?” he asked his mum, already knowing the answer.

“I suppose you will if you want to put in a real effort,” she said, combing his hair with her fingers, something she did when he was little. Hell, it was something she still did from time to time, if he was being truthful. 

“Tell his mother to have him meet me at Florean’s the day after tomorrow at noon,” he requested, officially making the decision in his head that he would put real effort into this, if not for the sake of Draco, a man he had little to no interaction with other than stories from his brothers and from the papers, than he would do this for his mother, because she cared. She really did.

“I’ll write her now,” Molly told him, pulling him up with her as they returned to the house, ignoring the curious looks from the other household members.

*** 

Bill had been the Weasley sibling to corner Charlie for questions, knowing he would be the best one to get some answers out of him, as they all knew there would be nothing given away from their mother. “Alright, spit it out,” he began after he followed Charlie into Charlie’s room and closed the door behind him.

“Spit what out?” Charlie asked innocently, “I have nothing in my mouth and I doubt you would want anything that I would have up in there. The human mouth is riddled with bacteria, you know. It’s disgusting.”

“What?” the scarred brother asked, “No, I want to know what you and mum were talking about.” They all wanted to know, which is why Bill was voted to be the one to find out.

“Oh, dearest brother of mine, you will have to try harder than that to get answers out of me,” Charlie smirked.

“Fine,” Bill crossed his arms and sat onto Charlie’s bed.

Charlie sat next to him, watching his younger brother work out a plan in his head.

“How about a game of questions?” Bill asked. “You get one and then I get one.”

“Hm, that doesn’t seem fair.” Charlie replied.

“No holds barred,” Bill added, sweetening the pot.

“Deal,” Charlie replied with a sly smile and casted a silencing spell on the room, knowing the others were just outside the door, hoping to hear them.

“Let’s begin,” Charlie said, thinking up his first question.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I finished re-editing the chapters I have already gotten written. I also wrote a bit more, which is a good sign. I'm a bit more in the mind set I was in during the time I was writing this often, so hopefully I am able to continue that.
> 
> Also, sorry the chapter is a little short.

Bill left Charlie’s room confused, shocked, embarrassed, and curious. Charlie really knew which questions to ask to make Bill uncomfortable and embarrassed, almost enough for him to call off the game of questions all together, except each question he asked led to more questions until finally he had hit the jackpot.

“If mum wants you to marry someone, who is it?” Bill had asked after many failed questions that he had wasted and many embarrassing questions Charlie had countered with. Finally, he got that their mum wanted to hook Charlie up with someone and it had something to do with that letter.

“Draco Malfoy,” Charlie answered, straight faced. “My turn, how many times have you and Fleur gotten down and dirty in the house?”

“Er, total or just this visit?” Bill asked, a little dazed by Charlie’s answer.

“Total.”

“Over thirty,” he replied, not even caring if he knew at that point, just needing to get more answers to so many more questions. “Did you agree to mum’s plan?”

“Partially, now who would you say has the weirdest set of tits from your graduating year?”

“Mallory Pritchford,” Bill fired back. He needed to get through these questions and into the real meat of this plan his mum had cooked up. “Why did you agree?”

“Partially,” Charlie repeated, “and he needs me to marry him for protection,” Charlie replied. “Have you ever experimented with any other boy?”

“Once during my fourth year, he was in potions with me and had a feminine body,” Bill admitted recalling the memory and how painfully red his blush must have been during the kiss in their common room at two in the morning where nobody would be up. Probably as red as his cheeks were now that he admitted it to his brother. “Protection from what?”

“The Ministry mainly, but there are people who have already sent the family threats. What was the boy’s name?”

“Gregory Halbache, but he changed his name years later to his mum’s maiden name after his parents divorced,” Bill replied. “Are you going to take him back to the reserve?”

Charlie paused at that. “Well, I haven’t really thought that far,” he admitted. “I suppose.”

“Char, are you ready for this?”

“I don’t know,” his brother admitted, “but, that is two questions. You lose.”

“Damn,” Bill cursed. The game was over and Charlie wouldn’t be answering any more questions, he knew.

“I’ll tell you this, though,” Charlie said, standing up to stretch after their long game. “I’m meeting him the day after tomorrow. I want to know what he wants. If it’s not me, I don’t want to force a marriage.”

Charlie was an honorable man, Bill thought. He was willing to help Draco Malfoy, known supporter of You-Know-Who and former Death Eater. Yet, he would not do anything the young man didn’t want. Draco Malfoy had better understand what he is getting into, as well. Charlie may seem like a bundle of roses as red as his hair, but he wasn’t perfect. Bill knew his brother had a lot on his plate and a lot of problems to boot.

“Better feed the wolves,” Charlie said with a laugh as he opened the door, only to have Ron, Ginny, and Percy fall into the room. Harry, Hermione, George, and Fleur hung in the back and looked just as guilty as the fallen three.

“Erm, we can explain?” Ron began, cheeks rosy.

Charlie snorted and brushed passed the group, “No need, I know you’re all gossip whores, anyway.”

The group looked to Bill after Charlie descended the stairs and out of ear shot.

“Let’s move to somewhere else to talk,” Bill said, feeling the lingering effects of the questions still in the room.  
  


*** 

“You guys were in there for over an hour,” Harry said as they all went to Ron’s room, which was feeling a bit cramped.

“Learned a lot. Defiantly know why mum’s been so secretive,” Bill began. He then began to tell them all he was told and some things he began connecting the dots to. The others listened quietly and intently as he continued with each and every revelation. 

“Charlie really got himself in a pickle this time,” Percy commented.

“Bloody right he did,” Ron muttered with a glare.

*** 

_ \- the next day - _

*** 

“Charlie, dear,” Molly called out. The others were gone with Arthur while Charlie agreed to stay to help his mum with some unspecified ‘chores’ which loosely translated to ‘I need you to stay home so we can discuss more regarding this potential engagement and what your duties will be,’ or something like that.

“Yeah?” Charlie called back. He was feeding the owls in the garden, as Hedwig had taken a liking to nesting there for the past few days and the others followed suit.

“Narcissa is going to be arriving at any moment, so please make sure to hurry.” As soon as Molly had finished her sentence, the fireplace roared to life and Narcissa Malfoy made her grand entrance via floo. “Oh, Narcissa,” Molly cried, hugging her friend.

“Molly, dear,” Narcissa cried, returning the hug and letting her tears fall. The poor woman had been battling for her son’s future all alone and she now had someone else to stand beside her. Hopefully there would be someone to stand beside Draco, too; a certain red headed Weasley.

Charlie heard the tell-tale sound of floo and found his mother hugging a strange woman he concluded to be Narcissa Malfoy, the mother of Draco Malfoy. He stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt his mother and her friend’s moment. 

The two women pulled apart and Narcissa turned to look at him. “You must be Charlie,” she said, reaching her hand out for him to take. 

“It’s a pleasure, Mrs. Malfoy,” he replied, remembering his manners. 

“You don’t have to lie,” she told him, shakily. Her voice sounded so broken. It was tragic.

“I’m not,” he told her and he meant it. “You’re one of my mother’s friends and the mother of the man I will be meeting tomorrow.”

Narcissa smiled as the tears in her eyes threatened to spill again.

*** 

Charlie’s first impression of Narcissa Malfoy was that she must have been strong as hell to be able to fight off the Ministry for so long without support before his mother stepped in. His second impression of her was that she was stunning and really hoped Draco inherited her will power, since he knew he got her magnificent looks, although he could see Lucius in the boy, too, as Lucius had a certain look to him. Lucius may be a Death Eater and all around terrorist, but the man sure was attractive. Charlie could admit that to himself, at least. Just never aloud.

“What are your plans with my son tomorrow, Charlie?” Narcissa asked. The three of them were sitting around the living room and sipping tea while Narcissa grilled, or rather, _ got to know _ Charlie Weasley.

“I plan on meeting him at Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour in Diagon Alley at noon. I would like to treat him to an ice cream before we talk. I would like to get to know him better before I make any decisions on marrying him. I would also ask for his permission, as well as your own if we do end up agreeing to a marriage. I don’t want him to feel forced into anything.”

“As honorable as that is, Charlie Weasley, my son does not have much of a choice on the matter,” she replied quickly, almost like an attack. “However,” she said, slower, “I appreciate that you have shown concern in Draco’s feelings. If a marriage does happen, it will be built on necessity and not love, but I do hope that love will one day find its way in.” Her eyes had turned soft, no longer the hard and stone like orbs that were boring into him earlier.

“I would like to make him happy,” Charlie admitted. “I do not know him and he does not know me, but I would rather have this marriage turn out to be a happy one, rather than a resentful one.”

“What will you do if he tells you he does not want to marry you?”

Charlie gulped. It was a loaded question. “That is his choice,” he admitted, “and I will not fight it. I will present him with the option and if he would rather choose someone else, I will leave knowing I tried.”

Narcissa listened to his answer and nodded. “You do not seem like the type of man that is forceful in getting your way, but you also do not seem the type to roll over to the will of others,” she said, looking to his mother. “Molly is strong willed and has managed to convince you to take this risk for the sake of my son. You must understand that if you and Draco marry, you may be targeted by their hate for him.”

Charlie didn’t know who this ‘hate’ belonged to, but he had already accepted this. He had accepted it during his game with Bill. “I understand this and am prepared to take it and protect your son, as well.”

“You will be ostracized.”

Charlie smiled sadly, “I already am,” he told her. “British in Romania, gay in a predominantly straight profession when my sexuality targets me against homophobic bigots everywhere I go. I am already aware of what it feels like to be hated, ma’am, and I do not shy away from it, nor do I fear it.”

Narcissa smiled at Charlie and stood up, causing Charlie to stand as well, and she hugged him. “I sincerely hope you accept my son.”

Charlie did, too.

*** 

The others returned an hour after Narcissa had left. They exchanged small talk, the woman told Charlie about her son, his likes and dislikes, and then the two women began to catch up with all that they had missed with each other’s lives before Narcissa began telling Charlie stories of her and his mother during their time at Hogwarts. It was nice, it really was.

When the rest of Molly’s children, children-in-laws, and husband returned, there were questions. Questions of how could Charlie do this, why had Molly not told anybody, and Ron’s persistent question of, “But, it’s Malfoy, why him?”

Charlie had had enough, so he stood up and raised his voice. “This is my decision. Stop blaming mum and back off of Draco. He may be your brother-in-law one day and I won’t stand for any disrespect of my spouse, not even from my own family,” he declared, glaring at them all as he did before walking out of the room and holing himself up in his childhood bedroom, waiting for tomorrow to come. After speaking to Narcissa, he had begun to look forward to meeting her son.

A knocking came a bit after he had closed his bedroom door. He wasn’t in the mood to fight anyone, but he also felt bad if he didn’t answer. It was George. He was expecting Bill, but it had been George.

“Come in,” Charlie told him, moving aside and letting his little brother come inside.

George sat on the floor and messed with the ends of his socks for a bit while Charlie sat next to him, waiting for George to say something. It took a minute or two of silence before George finally did speak up. “I support you because you are my brother,” he said, but kept his eyes on the floor. 

“Thank you, Georgie,” Charlie said softly, putting his hand on George’s head affectionately tousling his hair.

“If you do marry Draco, he better treat you well,” George began.

“I’m sure,” Charlie started before being cut off.

“I’m not done,” George snapped. There was still tension from downstairs. “He better treat you right, but you better treat him good as well, because us Weasleys have a reputation to maintain as the most charming and kind hearted gingers this side of the pond,” he said before cracking a smile.

Charlie returned the smile and nodded. “I humbly accept your proposition and prepare to lay down my life to maintain the integrity of the Weasley family,” he mocked with a horrible Southern-American accent.

“What’s with the accent?”

“That was my attempt at Southern charm?” Charlie replied, as if he was unsure about it himself.

George laughed and it sounded so natural to Charlie’s ears. When was the last time he had heard little Georgie properly laugh? It had to have been before...

“Let’s hope you don’t try to win Draco over with that, I’m sure he’ll curse you into oblivion.”

*** 

The night ended and Charlie was left alone to consider all that had to be done tomorrow. He had to find a nice outfit. Did he need to consider this a date? Was it a date? It was kind of a marriage proposal, really. Did Draco think this was a date? Probably not. Should he get flowers? Wait, this wasn’t a date...maybe. No to flowers, he decided. Besides, he was getting him ice cream and ice cream was better than flowers; it goes into your belly so you don’t have to carry it around like flowers are and make your arms tired, although flowers do smell good. No, no flowers. “Ugh,” Charlie moaned, rolling over in his bed. It was going to be a long night. What will Draco think of him, he wondered. Probably would only have his brothers to compare him to, and from what Ron and the others have said, Draco does not have positive thoughts, or even memories, of them, more than likely. But that was for tomorrow to discover. He really needed to get to sleep. If only his brain would just turn off and stop worrying him about things that he couldn’t help or even know if they were true. “Ugh,” Charlie moaned again.

*** 

The morning had finally come and Charlie went over the day he planned on having in his head. He’d meet Draco in front of the ice cream parlour and then get him a frozen treat. They’d then enjoy their tasty treats inside the little shop in a cozy booth where they would make small talk and introduce themselves. Then, they could walk around and window shop, maybe at Flourish & Blotts, since Narcissa mentioned Draco liked to read. They could also find somewhere to eat since it will be lunch time, some place that Draco would like, since Charlie had no real preference and had a stomach made of iron. Charlie found himself really looking forward to this, which was a good thing, he surmised.

Charlie had finally decided on an appropriate outfit; something that didn’t look too fancy like he expected this to be a date, but nothing too casual that suggested that he didn’t care. A really happy medium. 

“Charlie, you’re going to be late,” his mother yelled from downstairs.

Charlie hurried out of his room, wand in his jacket, shoes tied, and ran to the fireplace.

“Grab the floo, dear,” his mother reminded.

“Diagon Alley,” he stated clearly, whooshing himself away and into the fireplace used by his family. He always came dusty, but he knew a cleaning charm that fixed him right up. Now, he had thirty minutes to make if to Florean’s, which should be more than enough.

*** 

Draco walked through the moving walls of The Leaky Cauldron and entered Diagon Alley. His nerves and anxiety told him that he should run away and abandon all hope of happiness and safety. He had never met this Weasley, but he was sure they were all the same. He had known enough about the ones he had the displeasure to attend school with to know they all hated him, not like they didn’t have enough reasons to, though. His mother thought differently, however, and the red headed man had somehow managed to win her over. He really did hope that this meeting was not a ploy to embarrass him in public and to humiliate him. He had dealt with enough of that since the end of the war, especially in the past few months. He couldn’t handle any more.

“Oi, watch where you’re goin’,” someone yelled at him after bumping into Draco.

“Sorry, sir,” Draco replied, trying to keep as inconspicuous as possible. He was hated in the wizarding world now. 

Draco just had to focus on reaching that ice cream parlour and meeting up with the Weasley.

After enough wondering around, he had managed to reach the place, noticing that the man he was to meet had already shown up and waved him over.

“I’m Charlie Weasley,” he introduced, holding out his hand to shake. The man carried himself with confidence and held a smile that told Draco to trust him. Freckles littered his face and probably the rest of his body. This was the second oldest of the Weasley siblings, it seemed. The one that cared for dragons.

Draco eyed the freckled hand suspiciously before shaking it with his own, “Draco Malfoy,” he replied softly, looking up to meet Charlie’s soft brown eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Florean's is the ice cream parlour in the Happy Potter theme park at Universal.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Chapter 3. Finally they meet.

Charlie considered it a win already that Draco had even shown up. Charlie picture Draco having a confident air about him with a smug face and sharp eyes, as his brothers had described. He picture a man with a witty retort ready regarding Charlie’s family when he greeted him, since those were all things that his siblings had told him. This Draco standing in front of him was none of those things. He seemed scared to even be there, he did not appear confident in himself, and there was no smug look on his face. His eyes seemed to be puffy and a bit red, as if he had only finished crying. There was a simple greeting, but that was it. The Draco Charlie had heard of and the Draco before him did not match up. He must be going through hell if he had fallen to what he is now.

“Let’s go in and get some ice cream,” Charlie suggested, hoping that would help start things off a little more positively.

“Okay,” Draco responded, obediently following Charlie into the shop.

“Char!” the hostess greeted, “I ‘avn’t seen you in ages.”

“Oh, Cassandra,” his brain supplied regarding his former schoolmate in front of him, “fancy meetin’ you here.”

“I work here you silly ol’ ginger,” she laughed. “What brings you here? Thought you were in Romania.”

“In town to see family,” he replied.

“Oh, wait,” Cassandra’s face suddenly turned sour as she looked around Charlie. “You’re kind’s not welcome here, so beat it,” she spat.

Charlie turned to see Draco looking wide eyed and shocked by the woman snapping at him. “He’s with me,” Charlie proudly declared, staring her in the eye.

“What?” 

“You heard me,” he responded to his former classmate. “Draco here, he is with me, and we would like to get some ice cream.”

Draco looked over to Charlie, shocked to hear the man defending him, something that has almost never happened to him before and defiantly not lately.

“You for real?” Cassandra asked. “Unbelievable. You, a Weasley, with a Malfoy?”

“Yes, why is that so unbelievable?” Charlie challenged.

“You know what, just tell me what you want and then get out of here,” she replied, losing all kindness and familiarity in her voice.

“What would you like?” Charlie asked, turning towards Draco. He had kind eyes even after he just turned them onto the woman to defend him.

“Chocolate, please,” Draco replied, looking at the woman and speaking loud enough for her to hear.

“At least you’ve trained him to be polite,” she commented, getting his scoop of chocolate and putting it on a cone. “He used to be a shitty piece of trash a few years back. Always demanding and acting like he was better than literally everyone else.”

Draco gulped and he knew that was true. He was that way. “I’m sorry,” he told her before hiding behind Charlie’s frame.

Charlie could feel the tension in the room. “Chocolate for me, too, please,” he told her as she handed him Draco’s cone, ignoring her comment. “Here,” he told him, handing it to him. This was not going as he planned and they sure as hell weren’t talking in this place.

*** 

After all was said and done, Charlie and Draco took their ice cream outside and found a small pavilion to enjoy it at. Lucky for them, Diagon Alley was not very crowded during the middle of the working day. It wasn’t very shaded, but it was alright enough. The day was cool.

“Sorry about her,” Charlie said. “You didn’t deserve that.”

“Happens all the time,” Draco replied, sounding defeated. “Maybe I do deserve it.”

“I don’t think you do,” Charlie told him. “I don’t think anyone deserves to be treated like that.”

“Thank you,” Draco whispered, looking down at his ice cream.

The two men sat in silence, eating their ice cream until Charlie decided to break it after he finished off the rest of his cone and saw that Draco had done the same. “I heard that you like books,” Charlie began, causing Draco to jump at the suddenness of his voice. “Want to walk around Flourish & Blotts with me? I’m not much of a reader anymore, no time and all, but I’d like to know what you like to read.”

“Sure,” Draco replied, his pale cheeks became a light pink color. Charlie decided that he liked the color on his cheeks. “What did you read when you had time?” he asked, as they stood and began walking towards the store.

Charlie began to think of what the last book he read was. He also was glad to know that Draco held a little interest in Charlie’s personal thoughts on books and what he liked. “Well, I used to read a lot of muggle books that my dad would bring home. Most of them were fantasy, but I also read a few horror books, classics, and stuff.”

“What are muggle books like?” Draco asked.

“Well, as far as the fantasy genre goes, a lot of them deal with magic of some sort, but most are not how magic really is. There are a few that appear to be penned under a false name of a wizard or witch that wanted to make a quick buck,” Charlie chuckled. “There’s no way some of the books I read were by muggles without knowledge of the wizarding community.”

“I’ve only read classical muggle books,” Draco admitted, softly.

“I’ll have to lend you some,” Charlie told him with a smile. “If you’re interested, I mean,” he quickly added with a small blush coloring his face.

“Sure, Charlie,” Draco replied with a small smile. He was relieved to know that the Weasley was also a bit nervous and it wasn’t just him. “I’d like that.”

Charlie smiled again.

*** 

Nobody spoke to them during their walk to the store. Nobody spoke to them when they entered the store, either. But, that didn’t stop nearly everyone from staring. Their eyes looked from Draco to Charlie, silently judging the older Weasley for fraternizing with the Malfoy boy, a known Death Eater and disgrace to the wizarding world. The Weasleys, on the other hand, were heroes. They fought in the war and were a huge part of its success. So, what was a Weasley doing with a Malfoy, they had thought.

Charlie did his best to distract Draco from all the judging eyes on them, but he knew that Draco saw them and felt them staring. “Show me a book you like,” Charlie told him in the store.

“Alright, let me find one,” Draco said, looking on the shelves. “Well, this one is pretty good,” the blond said, reaching out and removing a thin book from the shelf. “It’s about an animagus that gets stranded in a muggle park called a zoo.”

“A zoo?” Charlie asked. “With animal habitats?”

“Yeah,” Draco replied, “that is it exactly. It’s not very long, but I enjoyed it.”

“Do you usually like books about muggles?” Charlie asked.

“I don’t mind it,” Draco replied. “I used to think they were all shitty, but, as I got older, I realized I was the shitty one.”

“It’s okay to have preferences,” Charlie told him, although he had the feeling young Draco thought that way because of pre-established prejudices from his father.

“I was just being stupid,” Draco muttered under his breath and Charlie pretended to ignore it.

Charlie looked through all of the books in front of him till he saw a familiar one. It was a required reading during his time at Hogwarts and one of the few required readings he enjoyed. He pulled it from the shelf and looked at the cover fondly.

“You have read that one?” Draco asked.

“Yeah,” Charlie said, “back at Hogwarts. Sprout had us read it. It’s about a herbologist that creates a beautiful garden. The garden grows larger than her house and then takes it over, turning her entire home into a garden. It was nice.”

“She never gave us required reading,” Draco tells him. “It sounds like a nice story, though.”

“She probably never gave it to any other class after mine,” Charlie told him.

Draco narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but a smile still sprouted along his lips. “What did you do?” he asked.

Charlie feigned false surprise, “What makes you think it was me?”

“I have heard of your family before, Weasley,” Draco said. “Fred and George may be the most well known tricksters, but I also know you had a mischievous streak throughout Hogwarts. People talk, you know.”

“Oh, do they, Mr. Malfoy?” Charlie mocked with a smirk. “What else do they say about me?”

“That you’re very kind,” Draco told him, turning away from him and leaving the store.

Charlie followed after him and saw the upset look on Draco’s pale face. “What’s wrong,” he asked after he caught up to him.

“Why did you agree to this?” Draco asked after he had Charlie follow him to a secluded area. “Am I just some charity case for you?” The blond looked furious as he glared at Charlie. The same glare that Charlie had imagined the blond would have. His shoulders were tense, but held more confidence than Charlie had seen from him all day. How he spoke to him, that was the demanding tone and authority Charlie was waiting for. This was Draco Malfoy, not the meek and scared man from earlier. This was the strong Draco Malfoy, the one that demanded and expected, feeling confident and even arrogant. This was the real Draco Malfoy that Charlie Weasley had heard of...and he wanted to know more.

“Follow me,” he said, not even waiting for Draco’s reply as he grabbed him by the hand and pulled him to follow. Charlie lead them through the quickly parting crowd as they went through street and into an emptier part of the shopping district, all the while Draco was demanding answers for “where are you taking me?” and “why are you holding my hand?” That second one, Charlie imagined came with a blush to accompany the less demanding tone. Eventually, Charlie stopped. He had taken Draco to an abandoned part of the district. They were standing in a courtyard that was destroyed by the large tree that stood proudly in the middle, causing bricks to be put out of place and for benches to be pushed crookedly and warped.

“Where are we?” Draco asked.

“Still in Diagon Alley,” Charlie answered.

“I’ve never seen this part before.”

“Not surprising,” Charlie told him. “Not many come here because of the uneven ground and the lack of places to sit.”

“Why are we here?” Draco asked, demanding an answer.

Charlie, hand still holding Draco’s, looked him in the eye. “You asked me why I agreed to this,” he said. “This tree grew here over night. It tore through the concrete and brick, warped the ground, and claimed this spot as its own. Essentially, it doesn’t belong here. I love this tree because it doesn’t belong and because I don’t belong.”

Draco looked back at Charlie and then at the tree. “Why do you think you don’t belong?”

“In Romania, I don’t belong. I’m an oddity. I’m British,” he said, simply. “I’m also gay in a straight dominated world and profession. I don’t have any family in that country, I have no friends off the reserve. From the outside looking in, I don’t belong. But, when I am with the dragons, I feel at peace. I am happy there. I feel like that is what I am meant to be doing with my life. But, to everyone else, I don’t belong. This tree, to everyone else, doesn’t belong. You, to everyone else, don’t belong. But, to me, you do.”

Draco could feel the tears in his eyes before they fell. He could feel the warmth of Charlie’s hand still holding his, and then, he saw Charlie bend and kneel onto one knee. His free hand took Draco’s other hand and he smiled.

“Draco Malfoy, would you marry me?”

*** 

Molly Weasley sat on the family couch and was busy knitting a sweater when some of her boys burst through the door. It was Ron, followed by Percy and Bill.

“Mum, tell Bill that Charlie’s only meeting Malfoy because you asked. Surely, he’s not thinkin’ of actually going through with this crazy plan?” Ron whined. “Just going to tell Malfoy he’s not interested.”

Molly put down her needles in her lap and looked at her hopelessly stubborn and hard headed son. “Of course he is considering it.”

“Wha? But, why?”

“Because he understands the reality of the situation,” she said casting a charm onto the needles to continue as she stood up to begin preparing dinner. She had an idea for a roast and wanted to make sure there was plenty of time for it to cook.

“But, why Malfoy?” Ron continued.

Molly just shrugged. “Narcissa is a dear friend. Friends help each other, deary,” she replied with a cocked eye, “or have you forgotten?”

“Ron, this isn’t all about you,” Bill groaned. “Just because you and Draco don’t get along doesn’t mean Charlie shouldn’t be involved.”

“I know, Bill,” Ron snapped, “I’m just saying that Malfoy is a git that doesn’t deserve Charlie’s time.”

“I’ve got to agree with Ron,” Percy stated. “That Malfoy is a nightmare and, quite frankly, he deserves what is coming to him.”

“I agree,” Ginny said, walking down the stairs and into the conversation.

“Really?” Bill was flabbergasted. “People can change, you know. Besides, Charlie only agreed to meet him. He never said he’d come back home engaged.”

“And if he does?” Ginny asked, disgusted by the thought of having Draco Malfoy as her brother-in-law.

“Then we support him,” Bill began. The others began groaning at the thought. “Like family should,” Bill raised his voice at them.

“You mean like how mum pretends to like Fleur?” Ron scoffed.

“Ronald!” Molly yelled, red in the face.

“Mum?” Bill asked, looking like a kicked puppy.

“She’s coming around,” Molly told him. “She just doesn’t seem to have much in common with you and it’s so hard to understand her, dear, but she’s getting better. You know, we were talking about recipes the other day. I think she is interested in cooking,” Molly told her son. “I’m really trying,” she insisted.

“If only Malfoy wasn’t so dreadful,” Ginny said. The room remained quiet, none even pretending to think otherwise.

“It’s been a whole two years since the war,” Bill finally said, ending the silence. “People change.”

“Let’s hope a lot of change went on for him,” Percy added.

“Times of desperation and fear do things to a person. From what I know, Draco has been experiencing both for longer than two years,” Molly told them. “I really shouldn’t say anything, but the Ministry is trying to force a marriage contract with any politician or foreign diplomat willing to have him.” She shuddered, “Any,” she repeated.

The Weasleys became gravely silent. The thought of anyone they loved or cared about going through Draco’s situation made them sick.

“We happened to be on the winning side of the war,” George muttered from the staircase, getting the attention of his mother and siblings. He had snuck down to see what all the commotion was about, but suspected it was his siblings making a fuss about Charlie. “Sometimes we ignore or forget what happens to those who survive from the other side.”

*** 

Narcissa opened the doors to the manor to welcome Draco back. Charlie had offered to accompany him, but the offer was refused, as nice as it was. Draco needed to clear his head and accept that his life was about to change, hopefully for the better. Ultimately, he had accepted that the way things were before would never return. He accepted that the future would be hard for him and challenges would appear, obstacles would turn up, and many people would not offer to help. The Weasleys were not one of those people. They extended their hand in the form of a son; Charlie Weasley. A man that Draco had only met today; a man that had defended him in front of others; a man that tried to lift his spirits; a man that had brought him to a place in order to connect with him; Charlie Weasley was a man that got down on one knee and asked Draco to marry him. And Draco? He had accepted with tears in his eyes.

“I’ll draw up the paperwork, love,” his mother said, seeing the expression on her son’s face. It was that of happiness, an expression she had not seen in months. He didn’t have to say a word for her to know that Charlie had asked. She would have to thank him. He was saving her baby boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After reading what I wrote so long ago, it feels a little rushed.
> 
> Thank you for reading. It really means a lot. 
> 
> Feel free to leave comments. I love reading your thoughts and replying :)


	4. Chapter 4

Charlie felt warmth in his chest when Draco said yes. He wasn’t sure what that warmth meant, but he felt happy. He must be mad to feel so good to suddenly become engaged to a man he had only known for a few hours. He didn’t even get him a ring, wow, what a shit head he was. But, he didn’t really go into this outing expecting to propose like he did...did he? He didn’t plan on bringing him to see the tree that he loved to sit next to every chance he could when he was younger and even now when he was able to be in the area. He didn’t plan on proposing to him, but he did. He meant it. Draco said yes, too. Then, realization dawned on him: 

1\. How was he going to support himself and a husband? 

2\. Were they going to live on the reserve? 

3\. How was he going to tell his siblings?

*** 

The Weasley family was waiting anxiously for Charlie’s return and, most importantly, news regarding his relationship status!

“Come on, how long is this going to take?” Ginny asked, losing her patience. “He’s been gone for hours.”

“Perhaps he is soon coming,” Fleur replied, “with news,” she added, getting impatient as well.

“Do you think he will really ask Draco to marry him?” Hermione asked Molly.

“I think Charlie will do what he thinks is best,” she replied, not knowing the answer herself. Part of her had already accepted the possibility of having a new son-in-law, even if it was Draco Malfoy.

George and Bill stayed fairly quiet, instead playing rock, paper, scissors and slapsies.

Percy read a book quietly, pretending to be uninterested, be really he was panicking at the thought of having to call Draco Malfoy family.

Ron merely sat by his wife, looking gloomy and grim the entire time. 

Harry sat between Ron and Ginny, rubbing his hands against his legs, trying to keep them dry, even though they had begun to sweat. He had yet to marry Ginny and Charlie may be beating them to the alter with his greatest rival in tow. He had forgiven Draco for the past, even though he had not told the blond, but he was not too keen on Charlie taking the man’s hand in marriage. He understood the circumstances and why Charlie may agree to them, he really did, but Charlie’s happiness was at stake here, too, and not just Draco’s safety. “Maybe there is a line for the floo fireplace,” Harry spoke up.

“Doubt it,” Ron grumbled, “he’s probably just snogging that little weasel against a wall.”

“Ron!” Hermione shrieked, disappointed in her husband and his bitter comment. The venom in his words made it clear that he did not approve of any of this, not that they had any doubts as he had made his thoughts more than clear for the past 24-hours.

Then, a flame appeared and the fireplace roared to life with green flames. Charlie stepped out of the mouth of the stone and nervously smiled at the sight of his family gathered up and waved.

“He bloody did it,” Ron stated, standing up and storming out of the house.

Shit, Charlie thought, feeling the smile on his face fall and the heaviness in his gut become tenfold.

*** 

Draco went to his room and lay on his bed. He was engaged now. Engaged to a man he barely knew and part of a family he had sworn he hated. But, that was then and this was now. This family had been the only ones to help, even if a majority of them, if not all of them, hated his guts. Not like he hadn’t done anything to disregard their thoughts on him and his own family. Despite all this, he still felt the warmth in his chest that started when Charlie began telling him about the tree. Charlie brought him to a place that made him feel like he belonged and brought Draco with him because he wanted Draco to feel like he belonged. It was sweet. That was the only word Draco could come up with to describe it. Sweet. Maybe sweet was what Draco needed right now. He had been dealing with bitterness and sour moods. A little bit of sweetness sounded nice and Charlie appeared to be full of sweetness. Perhaps this arranged marriage wouldn’t be so bad after all.

A knock came to his door. It was his mother. “I need you to sign these,” she told him, bringing him stacks of paper for a marriage license and other documents he would need to sign in order to marry Charlie Weasley.

“I want to be the one to deliver them,” he heard his voice say. The shock on his own face and the shock from his mother was enough to cause them both to freeze. 

“If that is what you wish, dear,” she told him. She handed him the papers and turned to leave. She took two steps towards the door before turning back around again. “Was he good to you?” she asked him.

“He was a gentleman,” Draco responded. “He defended me when someone got mouthy,” he added.

Narcissa’s stern and hard face softened and she smiled. “He is just like his mother,” she told her son with a sideways grin.

“Why the Weasleys?” he asked.

“Molly has been my good friend ever since we both boarded the Hogwarts express our first year. I wrote to her about what had been happening, not expecting anything out of her other than someone I could vent my frustrations to, as well as my fears. She has been trying to console me any way she can. When I mentioned a potential marriage between our families, I thought I may have over stepped a line, but Molly considered it, probably out of worry, but spoke to her son about it. I remember being at his birth, Draco. She was very young when she had him. She wanted me to be his godmother, but your father forbade it. It is one of my biggest regrets. He hated my friendship with Molly, but I refused to give it up, even if it strained both relationships. I am lucky Molly is so head strong and has always considered me a friend, even through trying times. That is why the Weasleys, Draco,” she finished.

“Charlie is probably the first person to ask about my interests without trying to get something out of me or our family,” Draco admitted. “I put up walls. I was scared. But, he ended up lowering my guard with his kindness.”

Narcissa sat next to her son and pulled him against her in a hug.

“He treated me like a person,” Draco cried.

Narcissa knew she did the right thing in contacting Molly Weasley.

*** 

_ \- the next day - _

*** 

A knock came to the Weasley front door and George hopped up to answer it. The door opened up to Draco Malfoy with a stack of papers in hand. “Just a sec,” George said, before turning his head and screaming Charlie’s name. “He’ll be down in a bit. Wanna come in?” the one eared man asked. He was being civil with Draco, which caught the blond a little off his balance. He thought any of the Weasley siblings he came in contact that wasn’t Charlie would treat him hostile like. Especially the one who lost his twin.

“Yes, thank you,” Draco replied politely, accepting the invitation into the small home. It was cramped and much more lively than anything Draco was used to back at the Malfoy manor. 

“Drink?” George offered.

“Water, please,” Draco responded. Things were going smoothly, so far.

Suddenly, a stomping noise was heard and Charlie made his way down the stairs, smiling once he saw Draco was in his parents’ living room. “You’re here,” he stated, happily.

“Yes,” Draco answered, feeling awkward as his...fiancé walked towards him. “These are for you to sign,” he said, shoving the documents into Charlie’s chest, which was hard. Probably full of muscle from working with dragons day in and day out. Draco failed to suppress his blush. 

“Oh, are these our marriage documents?” Charlie asked.

“Yes, we need to get them signed right away, or,” or he’d be shipped off to live with some pervert in the next few days with a power trip and a preference to cause pain, “or,” he repeated, “we’ll have to wait longer.”

“Ready to be a Weasley so soon?” George snickered, walking into the room with Draco’s cup of water and handing it to him.

“I would just prefer it if we sped things along. There has been much pressure from the Ministry,” Draco trailed off, clinging to the cup of water like a lifeline.

“We need rings,” Charlie muttered.

“Rings?” Draco asked, a little shocked and very confused. “What for?”

“You’re getting married, aren’t you?” George asked. “What do you think they’re for?”

“Want to make this official and do this right,” Charlie told him. “Only planning on getting married once.”

Charlie was taking this seriously, Draco realized. He was planning on staying with Draco, even after things died down and the fear began to wane. Draco felt his heart skip.

“You want this still, right?” Charlie asked, looking hesitant and unsure as he reached out and took Draco’s hand.

Draco couldn’t trust his voice to not crack and nodded yes. He did still want this. Charlie was the man that stepped up to save him and was doing a pretty good job at setting up good impressions for both Draco and his mother.

“Going to have to ask mum where she keeps the family rings,” George commented, sipping his cup of what appeared to be apple cider from the smell of it.

“I’m sure she can resize them for us,” Charlie said, looking at Draco as he spoke. “She’s good at the arts n’ craft spells,” he said, getting a chuckle out of George. 

“You know she detests them being referred as that.”

“Fine, her metal work and embroidery spells,” Charlie corrected with a goofy grin that brought a smile to Draco’s lips.

“May I give you a ring, too?” Draco asked, unsure of himself. Charlie may not even want something that physically symbolized his union with Draco.

“Of course you can,” Charlie responded with a warm smile.

“There is a Malfoy family ring,” he continued. “I think my mother would agree that you deserve to wear it,” Draco told him, “as my future husband,” he added quietly, but loud enough for George to hear and smile encouragingly. Draco was happy to know he had at least the support of one of the siblings, even if it was the one who perhaps had the most reason to despise him.

“I would love that,” Charlie admitted.

“If you two are going to get all gooey, let me leave first,” George said with a laugh, getting up and heading out and into the yard.

Charlie led Draco to the kitchen table so he could sign the documents, making sure to sit next to his future husband. “Show me where to sign?” he asked, knowing full well he could just look at them if he wanted.

“You should probably read them first,” Draco said. “There is some important information.”

“Oh, yeah, I suppose I should,” Charlie said, dumbly. Of course these documents should be read. He could be signing away all his material possessions for all he knew, which to be fair, was not a lot. But, it turns out that it is Draco who had signed all his rights away to Charlie. His fortune and inheritance, all in Charlie’s name now. The manor once Narcissa passes, Charlie’s. All the house elves, inherited to Charlie. The summer homes and other real estate, foreign and domestic alike, all under Charlie’s name. “You are okay with this?” he asked Draco, concern and slight horror written on his face at the realization of what this marriage actually does to his fiancé and what it means to his future.

“This is nothing compared to what I could lose at the hands of someone that doesn’t even see me as a person anymore,” Draco tells him. It is heartbreaking to hear the words leave the blonde’s lips. “Charlie, I feel comfortable knowing that all of my belongings and inheritance will be in your hands. You have shown me that you are more than capable of treating me like a person.”

Charlie slipped his hand into Draco’s and brought it to his lips to kiss. “I will accept this responsibility over your assets, as well as responsibility of your protection from anyone that wishes your harm.”

“Thank you Charlie,” Draco whispered. He then began showing Charlie where to sign and where to initial as they began the next step in securing he and Charlie’s future together. His cheeks stayed the bright red all throughout.

*** 

Molly returned from her trip to Gringotts Bank via broom, which she frequently enjoyed with the wind in her hair and the freedom a broom gave, only using floo when she needed to get somewhere fast or as a family. She was a little surprised to see another broom in front of the house, as well as George in the yard, waiting for her. “How’s it go, Georgie, dear?”

“Draco’s here, mum,” he told her with a small smile. Of all her children, George and Bill had been the most accepting of the arrangement. She was happy for that, at least. Charlie needed his family’s support in any way he could get.

“Oh, he is?”

“With marriage papers for Char to sign,” he added. “Better pull out the ring, Draco’s got one for Charlie already.”

“Oh, I must go find it,” she replied, quickly making her way into the house, telling Charlie and Draco hello, pausing to tell Draco that she is so happy he agreed, and then running to her room to find the Weasley family rings. Each boy was to inherit one, Charlie’s being the one that she often found the most lovely. It was more gender neutral than that of the others, because their great ancestor, Fergus, made it for his bride, himself, and wanted to make sure the crafting of it was not too slender for her, and was wide enough to have _ dearly beloved _ etched into the sterling silver with an opal topping it. It was gorgeous, she thought. She found it in her case of important things, along with the ring meant for Ginny, which she needed to remember to give to Harry for when their wedding day arrived, whenever that would be. She took the ring and went down stairs, seeing Draco smiling as he spoke to Charlie. The two really did look like things would turn out okay. She truly wanted the two to be happy together, even if the wedding was built on protection and fear, instead of love. 

“Mum, you okay?” Charlie asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Oh, yes,” she said, “carry on.” She’d give Charlie the ring later.

*** 

“Mother,” Draco announced his presence,” I need the family ring.” He would need it for the ceremony that was in two days time.

In two days, he would be Draco Lucius Malfoy-Weasley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a horrible day at work, but writing certainly helps things. Hope you enjoy.


	5. Chapter 5

“Ugh, do we have to?” Ron asked for what seemed like the billionth time. He and Hermione were back at their home in North London, getting dressed for Charlie’s wedding. 

“Ron, he’s your brother. Act like you care even a little bit,” she told him as she zipped up her dress. She had found it while shopping in Piccadilly Square yesterday and thought it would be perfect for the wedding. It was a black ruffled dress with a red bow around the waist. She found some lovely emerald earrings, wanting to support both parties. She had forgiven the idiotic and misled boy that she went to school with, knowing he was now making up for the mistakes of his past and dealing with the consequences of the future.

“He may be my brother, but he is making the biggest mistake of his life,” Ron retorted.

“Why don’t you let him decide that instead of not even giving Draco a chance.”

“Why are you even supporting this?” He bellowed. “You’re supposed to be my wife. You’re supposed to support my decisions.”

“Why on earth would I support your decisions when they are wrong?” she demanded, looking at her husband with both anger and sadness.

Ron stared daggers at his wife, completely fed up with the whole thing. “Have fun without me,” he told her, leaving their room and locking himself in the bathroom.

“Real mature,” she muttered under her breath. Tears prickled her eyes, feeling betrayed. But, she wouldn’t let that stop her from enjoying herself at the Malfoy and Weasley wedding. She knew Narcissa and Molly had been working day and night to prepare everything at the Burrow. There was sure to be plenty to keep her mind off of her husband and their marital issues.

*** 

“Harry, you look dashing,” Ginny told her fiancé with a smile. He was dressed in a black suit and bowtie. His hair had been fixed and his cufflinks were sparking from the light cast from their overhead light in their living room.

“I try, dear,” he told her with a straight face before bursting into laughter.

“You’re so silly,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing the tip of his nose. She was in a comfortable blue dress with her hair pinned up. She thought the color perfectly complimented her red hair.

“You’re so beautiful,” her fiancé told her.

“We better go if we want to be early,” she told him with a smile. “You know we are expected to be there before anything starts.

“Yeah,” her fiancé sighed.

*** 

There were no best men, there were no ring bearers, and there were no groomsmen. There were siblings and their significant others. There were parents of the grooms. There was an ordained minister. Lastly, there were members of the Ministry, looking very disgruntled by the event. The plan had been to have the Malfoy family under their thumb, not uniting with the Weasleys. Regardless, the tables have been set, the chairs have been arranged, the tent had been pitched, and the wedding ceremony was about to begin.

“You look so handsome, dear,” Molly told her son. She had given him the ring earlier that morning. Charlie loved it and thought it would look beautiful on Draco’s finger. He was waiting outside the tent, before the ceremony officially began.

“I’m a bit nervous,” he told his mum. His hands trembled slightly, holding the ring that would signify his union to the man he was about to marry. This would be a forever thing, right? He would be forever married to Draco Malfoy, former Death Eater and man that was the age of his youngest brother, a fact that slightly bothered him. The age thing, but, he supposed, also the Death Eater thing? It was an important detail that should not be ignored. Draco Malfoy was a former Death Eater, a former supporter of You-Know-Who whose family allowed the villainous man to occupy their mansion for the duration of the war, although, it was later revealed by Lucius Malfoy that the occupation of the mansion was made more out of force, instead of consent as previously speculated. So, really, Charlie had a lot on his mind. There were doubts, he would admit. He also would admit that the sins of the father should not be forced upon the child. Draco could not be blamed for every strike against him. It would be foolish to think he took on all the crimes of his own volition. 

The music began and Charlie was motioned to begin his entrance and make his way to the altar. He would enter first, followed by Draco. They were both escorted by their mothers. Charlie sucked in a breath and then let it out as he and his mother began to walk down the aisle, seeing the faces of friends, family, and politicians on both sides. The venue was small and the ceremony, hopefully, would be short. It was as the wedding should be, really. There was not a burning history between the two, although there was between families. Their love story had not even existed, yet their union would be conceived through potential attraction, perhaps one sided as Charlie fancied Draco physically, at least. They would be surrounded by media, surely, regarding the sensitive knowledge of just who Charlie was marrying. It was the beginning of a very difficult and trying union for Charlie, one that he was not entirely sure he was prepared to take on. He would not bend, however. He had made a promise when he asked Draco to be his husband. He had made a promise when he placed his quill onto the paper and signed his name next to Draco’s. Charlie did not plan on breaking that promise.

Charlie kissed his mother on the cheek and then turned to see Draco and his mother move past the curtains and make their way down the aisle. They both looked breathtakingly beautiful with their porcelain skin and high cheekbones, accentuated by their dark dressing and immaculate grooming. Charlie felt his heart seize up, not out of fear or dread, but out of an unspecified excitement. Perhaps excitement for his marriage; perhaps excitement for spending the rest of his life with Draco; perhaps it was both. Marriage was never something Charlie put a lot of importance on. It was never something he had imagined in his future, yet it was happening today, right now. Draco kissed his mother on the cheek, as Charlie had done and then the two were standing in front of each other. A smile graced Draco’s face as he looked at Charlie. A smile was returned and Charlie felt warm. He reached out and took Draco’s cold, pale hands into his own warm, tan ones. It felt right.

*** 

“You may now exchange rings,” the wedding officiate told them.

Charlie took out the ring and slipped it onto Draco’s ring ringer. His mother had managed to resize it perfectly. Charlie was correct in his belief that the ring would look beautiful on Draco’s finger. Draco then took Charlie’s hand and placed a charcoal grey silver ring onto Charlie’s finger. There was a green emerald in it, flanked by two smaller rubies. It was lovely and so very Malfoy. He found he didn’t mind it.

“I had the two rubies put in,” Draco whispered, barely loud enough for Charlie to hear, as he looked down at the ring on Charlie’s finger. “One for your Gryffindor pride that fought through my defenses and one for your Weasley caring that got me to agree to this union,” he told him with a blush. “It’s a little corny,” he then admitted.

“I love it,” Charlie told him, lifting his chin so he could look him in the eye, so he could see him.

“You may now kiss the groom,” the wedding officiate declared.

Charlie, still holding up Draco’s chin, saw acceptance in Draco’s eyes and moved closer to kiss his husband. Draco felt himself relax, enjoying their first kiss.

*** 

The ceremony had ended and the reception officially began, much to everyone’s relief. Food and drink lined the side of the tents with a buffet style self serve, as the two mothers of the grooms had agreed that there was little chance of having a formal sit down style meal with the occasion and it going well.

Charlie and Draco stole themselves away after the ceremony, wanting to take a breather from all the stress and excitement. 

“You really like it?” Draco asked, his hand still in Charlie’s.

“I love it, Draco,” Charlie told him again, “I really do.”

The blond smiled and blushed, glad to know his decision would not be met with mockery. “I also wanted the ring to carry something of yours, not just Malfoy. Red is your color.”

“I hope opal is acceptable,” Charlie then said.

“It’s non-traditional, like us,” the blond said. “It is a beautiful ring. I really like it.”

Molly then appeared with a cheery face, “come on you two, this is your big day.”

They allowed themselves to be pulled into the reception, looking forward to food and drink, as well as dreading potential conversations with the Ministry. Draco clung to Charlie’s side the entire night, knowing the Weasley would protect him. “I’m here for you, Mr. Malfoy-Weasley,” Charlie told him with one arm around his husband and a kiss on the cheek.

*** 

Hermione skillfully avoided the many questions regarding the whereabouts of her missing husband and brother to one of the grooms. Instead, she would cut them off before they would even begin, commenting on how lovely the ceremony was, how the food was to die for, or how she needed to get a drink to cure her parched throat from all the conversing. The wedding was lovely and she had enjoyed herself with food and drink. While there were many questions about where Ron was, from friends and family alike, there were also unpleasant chatter regarding the blond groom and how there was no possible way Charlie went through this without some sort of monetary bribe from Narcissa. She had to still herself from retorting that they had no idea what the two were going through and offensive guests such as themselves should keep their mouths shut and opinions hidden if they knew what was good for them. Hermione was seriously a hair trigger away from snapping at the next person who dared utter a snide remark against the new couple, regardless of who they were. Instead, she decided to go ahead and congratulate Draco and Charlie on their union and excuse herself to return home, even if she was not looking forward to seeing her own husband after their spat.

“Oh, Charlie, Draco,” she called out, waving to the two, who seemed happy to see that it was her calling them over and not someone else.

“Thank you for coming,” Draco told her first, which shocked her a little, but she managed to keep it hidden.

“Thank you for inviting me,” she replied with a genuine smile.

“I see my bullheaded brother couldn’t be bothered,” Charlie noticed, because of course he would. 

It hurt Hermione to witness his downcast look at seeing that his own brother didn’t approve enough to appear. “Ron can be an ass,” she admitted. “However, I am very happy for you, both of you,” she said, sending an assuring smile to Draco and then hugging them both. “I better get going, though, I have to work early tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Charlie understood,” we will see you later. Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you,” Draco told her and the unspoken conversation between Draco and Hermione was enough to tell Charlie that his husband had an ally in his sister-in-law.

“I look forward to that thank you card,” she joked before making her exit.

*** 

George had managed to sneak out early, not enjoying the crowd and commotion as he once did long ago. He especially didn’t enjoy the conversations he had overheard. The Ministry representatives that had attended were riled up and not in a good way, believing the Malfoy heir had been stolen from their clutches and whatever plans they had had were now shattered. Good, George thought. He had known that Hermione, Ron, and Harry had all been working on the inside of the Ministry of Magic to bring about reformation and change that would bring positives to the magical community, as well as bring an end to the distrustful government’s era of clouded judgment and aggressive control. They had wanted to use Draco to further their control of the Ministry. They were planning on abusing him in the name of power. George was disgusted by their inability to feel any shame in their plans and actions. Their disregard for human life was atrocious and he couldn’t stand the sight of them any longer, so he bid his farewell to his brother and newly made brother-in-law with a silent congratulatory gesture and went back to the house where his bed was waiting for him.

*** 

Percy had attended the ceremony and made an appearance at the reception long enough to snatch a plate for the road and head out. He wished not to fraternize with Ministry guests, whom of which were uninvited, yet appeared anyway. Their desire to watch over the Malfoy heir was stronger than their dislike of the situation. They were practically preying on the boy in hopes of using his status of former Death Eater and his family name in order to gain control over the Malfoy estate and assets, of which there were many. Now, they all belonged to his brother. It was a slightly troubling thought that Charlie had suddenly come into such an abundance of wealth and power, merely from proposing with promise of protection and safety to a known Death Eater from a family of notorious evil heritage. Percy loved his brother, he truly did, but he did not agree with his decision on who to trust and who to marry. Regretfully, his brother had gone through with his actions, as Percy knew he would. There was no denying that Charlie’s sense of fear and danger was clouded by his hardheadedness and loyalty. He truly was a Gryffindor. It was admirable, yet regrettable.

*** 

Ginny tried not to scowl through the night. She had agreed to come. This would probably be the one and only time Charlie Weasley would ever marry and she would not miss it, unlike her bullheaded brother, Ron. She couldn’t believe he had the nerve to miss today. However, she was not entirely pleased with the occasion. Actually, she was very disgruntled by the entire affair. She did not like Draco Malfoy. The man was insufferable and irredeemable; yet, her brother had gotten roped into marrying the man whose words had hurt Hermione Granger, and other mix blooded witches and wizards, during their youth and whose wand had ended the life of Albus Dumbledore, just to name a few of his greatest hits. They were older now, more mature now, but Ginny still saw the entitled and bigoted brat that had ensnared his brother into marrying him out of his concerns of sanctuary from a potential witch hunt, or even Azkaban.

Despite all this, she would lift her head up and carry on through the night on her future husband’s arm as they socialized with the wedding party. They would have their time, soon, and the wedding of Charlie Weasley and Draco Malfoy will be a shadow to the marvelous nature of the union of the famous Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, two heroes of the war whose love is genuine and true. Very much unlike the wedding she was currently attending, built upon political asylum and a loveless promise.

*** 

Bill and Fleur were probably the only members of the wedding party who actually enjoyed every moment. Fleur’s bleeding heart cried out at the beauty of the couple’s ring exchange. Their expressions of joy seemed so genuine as each gave the other a ring meant to combine them to each other and to each other’s families. She found it to be so sweet to see that the two cared enough for the other, despite their rushed decision into marriage, to promise such important family heirlooms to the other. She, of course, knew that there was no love truly in the ceremony, although there was obvious respect and care for each other.

Fleur had told Bill that there was something she had felt towards Draco, telling him that she felt a sort of kinship. Perhaps because they were both outsiders to the Weasley group, as Hermione and Harry had become part of the family even before dating their significant others.

Bill was so happy to see how his brother looked upon laying his eyes on his husband as Draco walked down the aisle. It was like watching all of the stress and worry built up wash from his face at the mere sight of his groom. He truly hoped that his brother and Draco found love in one another. It may take years, but he hoped it would come to be.

During the reception, the two made sure to dance as much as they wanted and to congratulate the two openly and lovingly, accepting Draco into the family. Despite the circumstances, Draco was a part of the Weasley family now, just as Fleur had become, just as Hermione had become, and just as Harry practically already was.

“You’re family now,” Bill had told Draco. “Don’t let anyone try to tell you otherwise.”

“Thank you,” the blond replied. He was a bit teary eyed. Bill assumed it was from being overwhelmed and brushed it off, patting the man on the shoulder once before returning to his lovely wife, who had requested one more dance.

*** 

The night had come to an end. Charlie and Draco were told to go to the Burrow’s floo fireplace in order to receive instructions on their next course of action while the cleaning up would be taken care of by the others that had cared to stay.

The two went to the fireplace, finding a note in Narcissa’s handwriting, telling them to floo to a place called “the Fireseed.” The two followed the instructions with Charlie flooing first.

*** 

Far away from the Burrow, there was a cottage in a small countryside village. The heart of the village homed a train station with trains leading out to London and even as far off as to Glasgow, if one wished, as well as many other stops at small stations, large stations, and anything in between. The cottage was average sized on the outside, if not a bit small. The inside, however, contained a three bedroom home with two full bathrooms, one in the master bedroom and one in the hall. There was a full sized kitchen and a dining room. The den was beyond generous, containing a floo fireplace for magical travel. The cottage was furnished well, containing the essentials one would need, including queen sized beds in every room, chests for clothes, plenty of bedding and sheets, towels and bathroom essentials, a fully stocked pantry and fridge, kitchen appliances, a well furnished living room with a coffee table, couch, and end table, as well as plenty of storage space for personal items. There were stairs that lead to a basement, where there were cauldrons and such for potion brewing, as well as extra storage. This was what greeted Charlie and, soon after, Draco, when they had used the floo. The Fireseed was the cottage. A letter greeted them from Narcissa. It stated that the Fireseed was her gift to them and was in both their names. As part of the marriage contract, Draco would not be allowed any previously owned assets in his name, however, this one was bound by muggle law, as the house was purchased and then repurposed from a muggle cottage to a magical one thanks to Narcissa’s insistence. The Ministry could never take it from them without meddling into muggle law.

“So, this is our home now?” Draco asked.

“Seems to be that way. Are you alright with that?” Charlie asked his husband. His husband, no longer his fiancé, no longer just Draco the man who needed his help.

Draco walked around and peered through the windows, around the cottage, and into cabinets. “I don’t have much of a choice, but despite that, this place feels more like a home to me than the manor does,” especially after housing Lord Voldemort, went unsaid.

“I still have work in Romania,” Charlie muttered.

Draco stopped his curious digging and looked to his now husband. “You will leave me?” he asked. His voice held a sorrow to it, as if it had known this would come, yet could not accept it. He knew Charlie worked with dragons outside of England and that he had only been at the Burrow to see family. It was only a matter of time till he must return.

Charlie pressed his palm to the stone of the floo fireplace. “I must make arrangements,” he said. “I’m a married man with duties to my husband, now.” Charlie cupped Draco’s cheek and caressed him affectionately.

Draco felt relief wash over him at the knowledge that Charlie was going to stay. Draco did not wish to be alone, especially now.

Charlie pulled on his husband and held him. “I will not leave you now that you are out of immediate danger,” he said. “I can use the floo to travel to and from the reserve. I can still work with dragons.”

“You know,” Draco began, “you are now the controller of my finances and assets. You don’t have to work.”

“It’s not about money,” Charlie told him. “I love what I do. I can’t give it up. Those dragons, they need me.”

“Perhaps I am one of your dragons, now,” Draco commented, a bit of a smile playing on his lips.

“I suppose you are,” Charlie agreed, with a smile. “Now, my dear husband, what shall we do next?”

“Decide on rooms,” Draco offered. “I would prefer separate rooms,” he told his husband, “for now...”

The “for now” part left Charlie hopeful. He had been more than happy with the idea of sharing a room with Draco, but was far more accepting of Draco’s wish to sleep separately for the time being. “Of course,” he told him, walking over to inspect the rooms. “You can take the master and I will take one of the guest rooms.”

“Please, I insist you take the master,” Draco began.

“Nonsense,” Charlie stopped him. “I want you to feel comfortable in your own space. If you do feel that you would like to share a bed one day, I want you to feel like you are the one in control of it. You having the master first, I feel, will give you more foundation.”

“If you insist,” Draco hesitated, but accepted.

“So,” Charlie began, changing the subject slightly, “now that we are married,” he swaggered over to his now blushing husband.

“Yes, Charlie?” Draco asked, unsure how he should feel. They had kissed during the wedding ceremony, as was expected, and it was nice. Charlie must have been expecting the kissing to continue passed the ceremony.

Charlie did not verbally respond, instead, he picked up his husband, who gasped in response from surprise, and then carried him to the couch and plopped him down in a sitting position. “May I kiss you?” Charlie asked, hovering close to Draco’s face. His body was draped over Draco’s own as Charlie straddled him, one hand on either side of Draco, essentially trapping him between the man and the couch.

Draco was a bit panicked, not ready to take their marriage further than their ceremonial kiss, so he shook his head no. He felt a little guilty to see Charlie’s face fall at the rejection and removing himself from atop Draco. “I’m not ready for more,” Draco told his husband, wanting to make that clear before he got Charlie’s hopes up.

“I understand,” Charlie told him and he really did. “I apologize for my behavior, it was wrong of me to assume.” It was perfectly natural for Draco to want to take things slowly, if he wanted a physical relationship with Charlie at all, and Charlie would respect those feelings. Even if they were a little disappointing to hear, he would not let them dissuade him from protecting Draco and fulfilling his rightful duties as a husband.

“I should have said something earlier,” Draco told him. “I do like you,” he then admitted, “I would like to just slow down and take this one day at a time. There are still a lot of things that I need to get through by myself before I focus on a romantic relationship, even if it is with my husband.”

“As your husband, I will stand by your side and support you in any way that I can,” Charlie told him, believing the words as they left his mouth. He may have sounded like a guide to marriage, but he felt like support and mutual understanding was important in any relationship, romantic and platonic alike.

Draco smiled and a heaviness he hadn’t realized was there left him. He pulled Charlie to sit next to him and then leaned onto his shoulder. “We can do this, though,” Draco said, “if that is alright with you,” he added, looking up to see his husband’s face.

He was met with a smile and nod yes. The two stayed that way, enjoying the other’s company, until they had both fallen asleep. Their first night in the Fireseed had been on the couch and it had been perfectly fine. Draco’s head rested on Charlie’s shoulder and Charlie’s hand holding Draco’s. Their rings nearly touching with their fingers entwined.


	6. Chapter 6

__

\- one month later- 

__

_  
_

*** 

Charlie was back at the reserve in Romania, having returned over two weeks ago, surprising all his co-workers with his newly sported wedding ring on his left hand. Nobody had confronted him about it and he wasn’t going to bring it up unless asked. Instead, his co-workers huddled together when he wasn’t there, coming up with theories as to who the lucky person was. Charlie had never formally come out to his co-workers, always denying invitations to go hang out at strip clubs and go bar hopping, hoping to score with any chick that happened to give them the time of day. Instead, he always stayed back and watched over the sick dragons, the injured dragons, the old dragons, and the baby dragons that were separated from their parents. For Charlie, it was only about the dragons there. So, logically, his co-workers thought him to be asexual. But, lo and behold, Charlie Weasley returns from his long vacation in England a married man.

Finally, his co-workers couldn’t take not knowing any longer. They decided to volunteer one of the guys to just ask Charlie. That is how newbie, Jordan Kelly, got the job of figuring out what happened in England. Jordan, a newcomer to the reserve and real straight shooter, simply walked up to Charlie while he was bringing a bucket of meat to one of the stables and asked, “Who’s the lucky girl?”

“Huh?” Charlie asked before looking down at the bucket of meat, “oh, I’m bringing it too Sherry for her feeding time.”

“No, I mean the ring,” Jordan corrected, pointing to Charlie’s hand.

“Not a girl, mate,” Charlie told him. “I got married when I was back in England.”

“You married some bloke?” He asked. Jordan was from Ireland and Charlie felt more kinship with him than with most of the employees, so Charlie was willing to indulge him just a little.

“Not just some bloke,” Charlie laughed, “but he is my husband,” he told Jordan before moving past him to continue his job and feed Sherry her afternoon meal.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Jordan muttered, returning to the boys to give them the news.

*** 

Charlie finished up with Sherry, happy that the Chinese Fireball had been in better spirits than the day before. She had injured her right paw and was in the medical stable to heal. After Charlie began to leave, a few of his co-workers began to approach with bottles of butterbeer and firewhiskey in their hands.

“Congrats, Char,” one of them said, already a little drunk.

“Yeah, should’ve told us you got yourself hitched,” another cheered.

“We gotta celebrate,” Jordan Kelly said, bringing Charlie to the cafeteria tent. Inside was the whole crew with a late lunch prepared and a small cake.

“So, tell us about yer’ man,” the crew members asked.

“Well,” Charlie began, “he’s also British,” he began.

“No, we mean, what’s he like?” Another member asked.

“A bit like a dragon,” Charlie chuckled. It was true, he thought. Draco could be sweet and calm one second, letting you cuddle with him on the couch and tickle him a bit while he would giggle and say, “Charlie stop, I’m ticklish,” which would only encourage Charlie more. Next thing you knew, Draco would have Charlie on the floor, fighting the man off while still laughing hard and red in the face while Charlie would be trying to get the upper hand, but is also laughing hard and can’t catch his breath enough to actually put some strength into his movements to flip them over. Draco could also flip his mood like a switch and show his fiery personality through the form of nasty looks and quick remarks about how he said to stop messing around or how he was acting just like a Weasley, hardheaded and childish, while Draco only wanted to read his book. “He’s really great,” he told the guys.

*** 

Charlie floo’d home that night, returning to Draco who was in the kitchen, looking at a box of dried pasta and a pot of boiling water.

“You’re back,” Draco stated,” good, you can help with dinner.”

“What’re you making?” Charlie asked hugging Draco from behind. His husband had been allowing more affection lately, which Charlie was more than happy to give.

“I’m trying to figure out how to make spaghetti,” Draco informed, looking back to the pasta box.

“Allow me to help,” Charlie told him, taking to box from Draco, adding some olive oil to the water, and then opening the box and pouring the noodles in.

“Why the oil?” Draco asked.

“Helps keep the noodles from sticking while they cook,” he said. “It’s not required, but I always do it just in case.”

“How do we know when they are ready?” 

“We can taste them,” Charlie said. “We have to stir them so they don’t stick.”

“Then what’s the oil for?” Draco questioned.

“Also for that, but stirring it is a must.”

“I’m great at potions and cooking should be similar,” Draco remarked, “yet I have so much difficulty.”

“Part of cooking is like potions, but you can do a lot more experimentation with cooking with less dangerous results,” Charlie told him with a smile.

“We always had the house elves cook for us,” Draco explained. “I never learned.”

“I can teach you a little,” Charlie said, “but my mum is who you want to ask. She’s nearly an expert.”

While Molly Weasley had been kind to Draco and had been damn near responsible for his marriage to Charlie, part of Draco suspected that it was only for her friendship with Narcissa and not because she cared for Draco any. Still, he didn’t see any harm in asking the woman. The worst she could say was no. Well, the worst she could say could be no, as well as a long list of colorful insults as to why not. “Maybe one day,” Draco decided.

*** 

The noodles had finished, the meat and tomato sauce had been prepared by Charlie, with Draco as the assistant and self proclaimed taste tester, and the table had been set.

“Time to eat,” Charlie stated, serving his husband a bowl and then himself.

The first bite was taken in silence before Draco declared that the food was delicious and began to inhale it as if he had not eaten during the entire length of their marriage. This brought a smile to Charlie’s face as he watched his husband devour the food for a moment before digging in himself.

How they would usually enjoy their meals after their marriage was ordering food and Charlie going to pick it up. They had spent most of their time continuing the get to know each other. There was no honeymoon, but there was time for them to relax after the few days of stress, or few years in Draco’s case. This was not to say that Draco was completely stress free, though. Draco told Charlie more about his newly acquired assets and they discussed Charlie taking more time off in the future to see the properties. Draco was nervous about the properties, as they had previously been under Ministry control once the Malfoy bank accounts had been frozen and temporary collection of the estate belongings had been taken from them. Draco had not been to any of their properties, aside from the manor, in years. Even before the war. Charlie assured Draco that they could go one day to make sure that everything was in order and as Draco remembered it to be. Now that Charlie was back to work, however, they had less time to talk.

After dinner, the two huddled up on the couch and listened to the crackling of the fire Charlie had set in the fireplace. It was a calming noise. Charlie enjoyed how Draco felt curled up in the blanket and leaning against him as the two sat in silence. 

Until Draco spoke. “I’m bored here,” he told his husband. “All I do is wait for you to get home.”

“Oh,” was all Charlie responded with.

Draco looked into his husband’s eyes, waiting for a response. When he got nothing else, he huffed and sat up. “I want a job,” he told him. “I want to be able to do something, anything, besides sit here all day. Reading all day is nice, but feeling self gratification for achieving something and working towards a goal seems better. That is why I want to work.”

“Alright, my dear, where do you want to work?”

The question deflated Draco and he slumped against Charlie’s side once again. “That’s the thing, I don’t think any witch or wizard in their right mind would hire me.”

“What about a muggle job?” he suggested.

Draco’s initial reaction was to scoff and immediately trample over that ridiculous thought. But then, he actually considered it. He said it over in his head, a muggle job. There were very few muggles that knew of the existence of magic. Even less that knew him. Maybe that could work. “How do I apply?” he asked, determination written on his face.

*** 

Draco and Charlie had wondered through the tiny little village they had lived near that next day. Unfortunately for them, there were no hiring jobs that would fit Draco’s skill set, anything magic related not included. It wasn’t until one shop keeper suggested taking the train into London that the two decided to try. A real good thing, too, as Draco was considering giving up. Charlie was glad he had the day off in order to do this with his husband.

One easy train ride later and the two were in London. Plenty of shops and businesses were hiring. But, nothing that Draco was qualified for, or even really held his interests.

“Perhaps I should just load up on some books and simply accept my fate as a stay-at-home husband,” he muttered. 

Charlie felt guilty at not being able to cheer his husband up, but escorted him to a book store. He had promised to show Draco muggle books, anyway. The books store was warm and cozy when the two walked in. Shelves full of books lined the walls and created aisles full of leather bound stories and tales.

“Suggest something for me,” Draco told his husband. “I have completed our entire collection twice over.”

To be fare, their collection was a bit small, so it wasn’t really that crazy to think that Draco had read them all twice. It was really only ten books, but Charlie knew Draco was probably bored of them and needed something more to bite into. Lucky for Draco, Charlie had the perfect series.

_ “Interview with the Vampire _ ?” Draco asked.

“It’s my favorite series,” Charlie told him. “I used to read them during break and they just really captivated me.”

“A vampire series, though?” Draco continued with a raised eyebrow, but began to look at the summery on the back.

“The author paints a world that is enjoyable. Her characters are fleshed out to the point of her considering them alive, to an extent. Well, undead. I think you’ll at least enjoy the main character,” Charlie said.

“Louis,” Draco muttered, absent mindedly while looking through the pages.

“Lestat, more specifically,” Charlie told him. “Perhaps you will understand if you read them.”

Draco closed the book, “Fine.”

The two went to the counter and was greeted by the cashier. “Did you find everything okay?” she asked.

“Yes ma’am,” Draco replied, casually while Charlie pulled out some muggle money.

“Glad to hear,” she replied, picking up the book to scan. “You know, I’ve never read this series. Let me know how you like it next time you come in,” she requested with a kind smile. Draco did not expect that, especially from a stranger.

“I’ve read most of them,” Charlie told her. “I love them and I’m trying to introduce him to them,” he said, motioning to Draco.

“Gotcha,” she smiled again and then told them the price. Charlie paid and then she handed them a plastic bag with the book in it. “I added a complimentary bookmark in your bag. Also, we are hiring if you two are interested,” she added.

“You are?” Draco asked, his eyes widening and his demeanor changing to a more excited one at the possibility of a job.

“Sure, are you interested?” she asked.

“Very much so,” he told her.

“I can give you an application,” she told him before checking in some drawers and pulling out a piece of paper. “Fill this out and bring it back tomorrow. We are doing all our interviews tomorrow starting at 3:30 P.M.”

“Thank you,” Draco told her, remembering his manners in his excitement. The two then left the shop and began walking down the streets.

“You okay?” Charlie asked. Draco had only stared at the application since they left. Charlie had to put his arm around his waist to steer Draco away from walking into people and poles. Draco’s only response was a nod, yes. “Are you hungry?” another nod, yes. “What do you want to eat?”

“Thai,” was the only verbal answer Draco gave, so Charlie began keeping a look out for any Thai restaurants as they walked.

*** 

They returned home some hours later. Draco immediately placed the book bag down and ran to the kitchen table with a pen to fill out the application. Charlie was just happy to see the man looking so determined and excited, even if he seemed to have completely forgotten about the new book.

Once he finished, Draco returned to the living room, where Charlie was looking through some files on the dragons at the reserve. A new one had just been introduced into the flock of Swedish Short-Snouts that they were housing. It was still only a baby and he wanted to go over the entries other employees had documented regarding the baby’s progress.

“Everything okay?” Draco asked, taking his place next to Charlie’s side and leaned against him, as he so often did when the two shared the couch.

“It’s great,” Charlie told him, setting down the files and wrapping his arm around the blond man, pulling him in for a side hug. “You finish the application?”

“I did,” Draco told him with a smile.

“I won’t be able to go with you tomorrow,” Charlie told him. “You think you’ll be okay?”

“Charlie, I was able to make it 20 years without you escorting me. I think I will manage,” Draco told him with a laugh.

“Just making sure,” Charlie told him, kissing him on the cheek. Oops.

Draco reached up and placed his fingers over the spot Charlie’s lips had touched.

“Sorry,” he quickly said, pulling his arm back and looking away from Draco.

“It’s okay,” he said, trying to get Charlie to look at him. He moved to place one hand on either side of Charlie’s face and turned the man to face him. “It’s okay,” he repeated.

“I know you want to go slow,” Charlie quietly said, feeling bad for pushing things.

“You’ve been more than patient,” Draco told him. “I really appreciate that.” Draco then blushed a little before he spoke next. “You can kiss me on the cheek,” he told Charlie.

“You can so the same,” Charlie told him, feeling his chest relax.

Draco rubbed Charlie’s cheek with his thumb before removing one hand from his face and tracing his lips, boldly. “What about here?” he asked.

Charlie only nodded, yes, enjoying the feeling of Draco’s hands on him. Charlie felt his eyes slowly close as he felt Draco’s lips on his own. It was a sweet and slow placing of the lips against his own slightly chapped lips. It was the most forward Draco had been in their entire marriage when it came to sexual attention, if this was even sexual. Perhaps it was more realistic to say that Draco’s only want for physical attention included minor cuddling on the couch and the occasional hand holding. Kisses were just not a thing that they did, much to Charlie’s dismay, although he would never push for it. He respected Draco and cared too much to push the man into something he didn’t want or wasn’t ready for.

Draco pulled away and Charlie opened his eyes. “I think I would like to try that more,” Draco told him. “Later,” he then added.

Charlie nodded, understanding, and pulled him into a hug, wanting to hold his husband for a moment.

“I’m sorry for having to make you wait,” Draco told him.

“You’re not making me do anything,” Charlie insisted. “I want this relationship to move for you at your own pace, just as I know you would want me to wait until I was ready for something.”

“How do you know I would do the same for you?” Draco asked, burying his face in Charlie’s shoulder while he was being held.

“I think that you care for me and my feelings,” Charlie said, “and you wouldn’t tell me you were sorry if you didn’t.”

Draco said nothing. Charlie was right, he did care for the red head that was his husband. “I’m lucky to have you as my spouse,” Draco told him honestly.

Charlie softly pulled them out of the hug and looked at Draco’s face. His eyes were beautifully blue as they looked back at him. His lips were slightly pink against his pale skin, also beautiful, his mind supplied. “May I kiss you?” Charlie asked, brushing the hair out of Draco’s face.

Draco nodded, yes, allowing Charlie that simple request. 

Charlie leaned in and covered the slightly pink lips with his own. Their mouths moved together. Charlie had experience, while Draco had none, and the kiss made it obvious. Draco didn’t know what to do, how to move, or what was good for Charlie. Charlie moved his hand up to cradle Draco’s cheek, still moving his lips against Draco’s own. Charlie’s warm hand felt nice against Draco’s skin, the blond thought as the kiss began to deepen. Charlie’s tongue brushed against Draco’s bottom lip, startling Draco and causing him to pull away.

“Sorry,” Charlie quickly said. He’d gone too far, asked for too much, too soon.

“I was just startled,” Draco told him, moving closer to resume the kiss. This time, Draco didn’t pull away when Charlie silently asked for more. Draco felt bolder and felt like he wanted more, too. Their kiss began to get hotter as Charlie explored the inside of Draco’s mouth, mapping it out as the temperature in the room began to rise. A moan from Draco escaped and Charlie felt bolder with his hands, moving one to the small of Draco’s back to pull him closer. Soon, Draco was in Charlie’s lap, straddling him as they continued to kiss. Charlie’s hands, one on Draco’s back and one cupping his cheek, burned against Draco’s skin from their heat. He found that he enjoyed it. Charlie’s hand on his back slowly began to wonder, finding itself on Draco’s hip, still in a safe spot.

Draco had his hands on Charlie’s shoulder, steadying himself during the kiss. He pulled away for air, wrapping his arms around Charlie’s neck, letting him know he was alright and only needed to breathe. Charlie took this as a sign to continue, moving his lips to Draco’s neck. He felt Charlie’s warm breath on him, kissing him and licking small parts of his neck. It was the most erotic feeling Draco had ever felt and he wished so badly to see it, yet didn’t move, knowing Charlie would stop if he began to pull away. Draco’s breaths began to get heavier, panting as Charlie continued to explore his pale neck. His hand that once held his cheek had moved to pull on the collar of his shirt, exposing more of his porcelain white flesh.

“You’re so beautiful,” Charlie told him in between kisses.

Draco pushed his head away from his neck so Draco could claim his lips again before pulling away once more to look into Charlie’s dark brown eyes. They were dilated from their kisses and hungry looking. Draco had not wanted to move further passed what they had already begun, but Charlie’s eyes seemed to silently beg for it. Draco closed his eyes and tried to regain a smooth and slow breath, placing his forehead against his husband’s. 

“Are you okay?” Charlie asked him.

Draco laughed a bit in between his slower panting and nodded. “I’m perfect.”

“You are,” Charlie agreed, kissing Draco’s cheek once before rolling Draco off of him. 

Draco quickly eyed the slight bulge in Charlie’s pants, knowing that the man’s eyes had not lied when they begged for more. But, Charlie would not ask, knowing Draco was not ready. Draco was so grateful. The physical aspect of a relationship still terrified Draco. Sex was not something he was even remotely ready for. Their heavy make-out session had been a huge leap for him, but sex was still off-limits, as far as Draco was concerned.

Charlie, feeling Draco’s eyes on his crotch, stood up while also willing his body to calm down, and then stretched. “We should get ready for bed,” Charlie told Draco. 

“Yeah,” Draco agreed, getting up and walking towards his room. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I’ll make breakfast,” Charlie told him, catching Draco by the wrist to turn him around for a quick hug before he too retired to his separate room for bed. Perhaps that would change, Charlie thought. He had longed to have Draco in a bed with him. Just to hold and wake up next to. He did like his husband. He liked him a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a headache from the nightmare that is fixing html formatting in another story I have been posting. 
> 
> My partner came down for the weekend and it was so hard to drop him off at the train station. There was much crying on my part while he stayed strong and gave me lots of hugs and kisses. I love him so much. 
> 
> It has been a rough day, but posting chapters for stuff I have written is like therapy in some ways. Thank you so much to each and every person that reads what I write. It means so much.


	7. Chapter 7

Draco and Charlie shared breakfast together, a simple plate of eggs and bacon each. Draco felt Charlie watching him eat, causing Draco to blush. He couldn’t stop thinking about last night. It was so wonderful, thrilling, and new for him. He could easily become addicted to those types of moments with Charlie. Kissing would be as far as he was willing to venture, though. At least, right now. It was all still scary, really. Sexual inexperience was nothing new when he was in school, but he never felt comfortable with anyone to experiment and discover his likes, dislikes, or anything, really. He almost felt like he had missed out on some part of his youth that every teenager experienced. He only really knew he liked men from simply checking out his options in the Slytherin common room, classes, and meals in the great hall.

“I should go before I’m late,” Charlie spoke up, snapping Draco from his thoughts. The red head stood up and caressed Draco’s face briefly before washing his dishes and putting them up to dry. 

“Thank you for breakfast,” Draco told him, standing up and wrapping his arms around Charlie’s waist while he was turned around at the sink. It felt right and Charlie seemed to enjoy it. The red head turn around to face Draco, cupping Draco’s face in his strong hands.

“Any time,” he said.

Draco was grateful he was around the same height as his husband as he leaned in for a quick kiss before pulling away and grabbing his own dishes to wash.

Charlie smiled at his blond husband and said his farewells, adding in a good luck before flooing away.

Draco had time to get ready for his interview, still.

*** 

“Thank you for coming, please sit down,” the owner of _ Page Turner, _ a muggle man of about 55 years of age with a balding top and a sweater vest, told Draco. They were in the back office for the interview. Draco obliged, sitting at the chair provided and giving the man, whose name turned out to be Floyd, his full attention. “What made you chose our little establishment, Draco?”

“Well sir, I have always been a reader, ever since I can remember. Books have just always been a source of comfort for me. I have recently been in a stressful situation and I just feel like a book store would be a good fit for me,” Draco replied. 

“Well, we are always wanting to hire people who actually enjoy reading,” Floyd said. “Can you tell me what your favorite book genre is?”

“Well,” Draco began, “I usually read biographies and non-fiction, but my husband has recently introduced me to some works of fiction that he likes.”

“Oh yeah? Care to elaborate?”

“I started _ Interview with the Vampire _ just last night. I purchased it here yesterday and that was when I found out about the job hiring,” Draco admitted. He had been reading the book last night, after his make-out session with Charlie, of course. So far, he liked it, but wasn’t sure why Charlie said he would like Lestat. The character seemed like a bit of a prick so far.

“Ah, yes, Anne Rice’s classic tale of horror, mystery, and tragic romance,” Floyd replied, scribbling down some notes on a pad of paper in his hand. He seemed delighted to hear Draco’s answer. Or perhaps he was just glad to hear Draco bought the book from his store. “Do you think you would be able to direct a customer to a book or genre if they had questions or were asking for suggestions?”

“I think I could,” Draco replied. He hoped he could, anyways. “I plan on reading more fictitious works in the future. I want to broaden my knowledge of literature, especially mu-I mean modern fiction,” he corrected. 

Floyd, not even noticing the slip up, nodded agreeably to Draco’s answer and scribbled something down on his pad of paper. “So, I noticed you have no working history on your application, would you care to elaborate?”

“This would be my first paid job,” Draco answered, a little embarrassed. “Although, I did volunteer with an independent organization a few years ago. Mostly grunt work, but I feel like I got experience from a high stress and high demand environment. There were little room for mistakes and I am a fast learner.”

Floyd wrote on his pad again and looked back up to Draco, “What was the organization?” 

“Oh, it was disbanded and that is why I had left,” he began, trying to think of a name. “It was called _ Pure Heritage, _” he fibbed. “It was an organization that dealt with the heritage of old families.” A blatant lie, but Floyd knew no better.

“Ah, I see,” he said, a bit disinterested. “What exactly did you do there?”

“Assisted in meetings with people of interest and organizers, delivered messages and mail, I also went out into the field and assisted in organization practices,” Draco lied, smoothly. This was nothing compared to when he had to lie in the face of death a few years before.

“So you have experience working in a team?” Floyd asked.

“Yes sir,” Draco replied.

“Do you think you can assist difficult customers while under pressure to make a sale?”

“Yes sir,” Draco replied. There was no way he would ever have to deal with someone even close to as ‘difficult’ as some of the Death Eaters and followers of Voldemort were, let alone the man himself. “I am very confident I can handle that,” he then added.

Floyd smiled at that and wrote down some more onto his note pad. “Well Draco, I like you,” he told the blond, “and I want to hire you, as long as you can work in this country and agree to the terms of employment here.”

“Sir, I am more than happy to accept,” Draco smiled, feeling very confident in this victory.

“The pay is only 8£ an hour and there is a terms of agreement paper I would like you to look over. Things like rules, official laws we must abide by, you know, that kind of stuff,” Floyd told him.

“No problem.”

“I’ll go get the paper work and we can talk about your days for training and work out a schedule for you. The training will be paid, of course, and we’ll have you working with one of the other employees to learn the ropes and such,” Floyd continued. 

Draco felt very happy, very happy, indeed. He couldn’t wait to tell Charlie about this.

*** 

Charlie floo’d home, ready to finally return to the Fireseed where he would find his handsome husband, and maybe even find himself a home cooked meal, but he wasn’t going to press his luck. He knew Draco was not entirely familiar with cooking and knew very few house hold charms and service spells to accommodate for his lack of knowledge. What he didn’t expect was to floo into his home and immediately get greeted with a strong smell of Indian curry and a smiling Draco holding a bottle of wine. “Good day, dear?” he asked.

“A perfect day,” Draco replied. “I aced the interview and I start in two days. I was so excited that I ordered some dinner for us and used a heating spell to keep it nice and hot for when you returned. I also picked up some wine, although I’m not sure what you’d prefer. I hope you like Chardonnay.” 

Charlie smiled and allowed his husband to lead him to the dining room, where the food was waiting for them. There were two wine glasses at each table setting, as well as two glasses of water. Draco really did well with the interview if he had gone all out to set the table as well. “I’m so proud of you,” he told his husband, ruffling his hair, receiving a glare that held no heat to it, especially coupled with a blush and a smile.

“I’ll need to read more muggle books,” he told him, “so I’m open to suggestions.” Draco had no real knowledge of muggle literature besides the classical literature of Greek and Roman times, as well as British literary works from Shakespeare and Dickens. His family had not seen it as terribly important when there were far more pressing matters at hand during his developmental years.

“There are the few books that were already here,” Charlie replied, referring to the ten or so books Draco had already read twice. 

“They were fine and all,” Draco commented, “but they were commonplace books in wizarding households, as well,” he added.

“Yeah, but they were muggle authors, so there is at least that,” Charlie told him, receiving a nod from Draco. “I can go pick up my books from the Burrow,” he told his husband. “Mum keeps all our things.”

Draco listened, nodding when it felt appropriate. He silently hoped that the family visit would be only Charlie. Molly Weasley may have helped, but he was not sure if he was welcome into her home. Sure, a few of the siblings were civil and accepting, but he knew that a majority were far from it. “Let’s eat,” he said, serving a plate of curry for Charlie and then for himself, trying to change the topic. “Tell me about your day.”

“Nothing too crazy, today,” Charlie began, going into his normal duties and activates at the reserve. He told Draco about his superior wanting to have a celebration for the successful hatching of one of the dragon eggs. A Hungarian Horntail, Charlie added. “The plan is for the partners of the employees to join for the celebration,” Charlie added. “They want it to be like a family event, since all the people at the reserve are so close.” Draco had the feeling that the reserve felt close to Charlie, but Charlie may not have felt close to them. The dragons, however...

“You want me to come,” Draco stated. 

“I would like that, yes,” Charlie replied.

“When?”

“Tomorrow night,” Charlie replied.

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” Draco asked, thankful that he didn’t start training tomorrow.

“Well, I didn’t know if you were really interested, let alone interested in me, so I never said anything and just planned to go alone,” he began, sounding a little anxious, “but then there was last night and now I don’t know how you feel about me.”

“Oh,” Draco said.

“I don’t really know where we stand,” Charlie admitted openly, shifting a bit in his seat.

Draco avoided his husband’s gaze, unsure of how he felt. He knew he liked begin near Charlie, liked talking with Charlie, liked cuddling on the couch with Charlie, and most recently, he liked kissing Charlie. But, did he like Charlie or did he just like doing those things and Charlie just happened to be the person he did them with.

“I would like to take you on a date after your first day of work,” Charlie told Draco before he could respond. “If that is alright with you, of course,” his husband quickly added.

Draco, processing what had just been said, nodded yes.

“Good, good,” Charlie replied with a small smile.

“C-can,” Draco began.

“Yes?” Charlie asked, his eyes pleading with the blond’s to continue.

“Could we go do something in the muggle areas?” Draco asked, shyly. He didn’t want a repeat of Diagon Alley. 

“Of course,” Charlie said, completely understanding. “Perhaps a movie?”

“I would like that,” his husband replied with another smile.

*** 

It was the next night, the night of Charlie’s work place celebration for the birth of a new dragon. Draco was absolutely terrified.

“You look handsome,” his husband had told him, adding a, “you’ll do fine and I’ll be right next to you the entire time,” in an attempt to comfort him. It didn’t help, really, and suddenly Charlie and Draco had floo’d all the way to the Romanian dragon reserve. 

“Charlie!” people had called out, greeting Draco’s husband with open arms and pats on the back.

Charlie reached over and clutched Draco’s hand in reassurance, “Guys, this is my husband, Draco.”

Nobody even batted an eye at him, instead greeting him and introducing themselves. Handshakes and even a few hugs were given to Draco. Perhaps he wasn’t recognized. These were primarily Romanian and other European wizards. Charlie was one of the few Brits at the reserve, in fact. This knowledge helped sooth Draco’s anxiety. 

“Can I get you a drink, Draco?” One man that had introduced himself asked. Antoni, Draco reminded himself.

“Yes, please,” he replied, courteously. 

“Hope you like beer,” another man, Petyr, said in English, although it was clear the language was not his native. “It is all we’ve got.”

“That is perfect,” Draco replied, needing himself a nice pint or four to get through the night. Charlie’s co-workers seemed nice enough, but Draco was still stressed as hell. He needed something to loosen himself up.

*** 

The night went on and Charlie eventually lost his husband along the way. Draco had gotten tipsy enough to where he was no longer attached to Charlie at the hip and had gotten quite comfortable mingling amongst the spouses and partners of the staff.

“Your Draco,” began Petyr, “he’s a real looker. How’d you get acquainted with such a beautiful man as him?”

“Long story,” Charlie laughed off, avoiding the question. “Where’s Steph?”

“Oh, she’s been talking with Lauri all night,” he said, motioning to where his wife was.

“Can’t believe it’s been ten years for you two,” Charlie commented. 

“Time sure does fly,” Petyr agreed. “Love that woman to death. Here’s to another ten,” he laughed, taking a drink of his beer. “Better go find that husband of yours,” he then said. “You can go show him little Drego.”

Drego being the new dragon was in a confined stable where no other dragon would come in contact with it till they finished up all their tests and tagging for tracking purposes. “He’ll probably love to see the baby,” Charlie agreed, leaving Petyr to find his wayward husband.

Draco was found near the table of food, talking with one of the spouses. 

“There you are, darling,” Charlie greeted as he approached.

“Oh, Charlie, your husband is so kind,” Colette, the woman standing with Draco, said. “You must bring him more.”

“Only if he agrees,” Charlie replied, happy to see the smile on his husband’s lips, accompanied by the redness of the alcohol on his porcelain skinned cheeks.

“I’m having a great time,” Draco declared.

“I’d like to introduce you to someone,” Charlie said, “if I may steal him from you, Colette,” he added, receiving a laugh and nod from the French woman.

Charlie took Draco’s hand and led him away from the tent they had been in. He led them away from all the noise. Eventually, he led him to the stables.

“Where are we going?” Draco had asked.

“I’d like to introduce you to the one who all of this is for,” he replied.

“The baby?” Draco asked softly, smiling warmly.

“Yes,” Charlie replied with a smile.

Alone in a far off stable was the baby Drego, able to walk and stretching its wings. 

“Beautiful,” was all Draco had said as the two watched the baby. 

“He is,” Charlie agreed.

Draco looked to his husband and kissed him on the edge of his mouth. “Thank you,” he said. 

“No, thank you,” Charlie replied, bringing their lips together properly.

Draco smiled into the kiss and hummed, pleased. “I’m a little bit drunk,” he told his husband.

“Only a little bit,” Charlie agreed.

“I had five beers,” Draco continued. “I don’t drink beers, but I did.”

Charlie looked at his husband. His cheeks were flushed and the big goofy grin on his face made him feel warm. His husband looked happy. “You want to stay longer?”

“No, I wanna cuddle with you,” Draco said, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. He could laugh at Colette’s jokes freely, he didn’t have to worry about whispers behind his back, and he was here with Charlie. Charlie made him happy. “Maybe I had more than five beers,” Draco admitted, remembering beers six and seven, vaguely. Colette was a drinker and kept handing them to him, he couldn’t refuse.

“We should leave, then,” Charlie suggested with a smile, happy to see Draco so carefree compared to how he usually was.

“Yes,” Draco agreed, a bit unsteady on his feet.

*** 

They had made the rounds at the camp, saying their goodbyes. Draco had received many hugs from the spouses, telling him that they were so pleased to meet him, as well as invitations to meeting up together in the future. Charlie was very happy with the way things ended.

The two floo’d back to the Fireseed and planted themselves on their couch.

“I’m tired,” Draco muttered, curling into Charlie’s side.

“Want me to take you to bed?” Charlie asked, enjoying how affectionate his husband had become.

“No, you’re warm and I wanna stay here,” Draco replied.

“We can’t sleep on the couch,” Charlie told him.

“Then you can sleep with me so I won’t be cold,” Draco said.

“Are you sure you really want that?” Charlie asked, looking down at his husband. “In the morning, you may feel differently.”

Draco sat up and looked his husband in the eye. “I want you to share the bed with me,” he told Charlie, serious. 

Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, Charlie nodded and was led by a determined Draco into the bedroom Draco had occupied. They ended the night with Charlie sleeping on his back with Draco clinging to his right arm. Charlie kept his hands to himself, knowing that his husband valued his personal space, even if he held less value for Charlie’s own while drunk. It was the best night of sleep Charlie had had up to that point as a married man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just really love Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. It's like in everything I write.


	8. Chapter 8

_ -three years ago- _

*** 

Charlie had sat down with Hektor at The Leaky Cauldron. “You sure you want to do this, mate?” Charlie had asked.

“I trust you, Charlie. I trust you more than anyone else in this world. Marie would have wanted it this way,” Hektor told him.

“You think I could do it?” Charlie asked. “If anything happened, you think I’d be able to do it?”

“With your big family?” Hektor asked. “Walk in the park.”

Charlie glanced at the photo of Marie that Hektor had pulled out. She was a beautiful woman and a powerful witch.

“Death claims all things. It does not discriminate,” Hektor told him, signing his name on the documents laid before them. “Sign here, Charlie,” Hektor said, pointing where.

Charlie signed.

Hektor pulled out a tiny glass vial and opened it. Inside was a needle. He took it out and pricked his finger, squeezing the end. A tiny droplet of scarlet blood surfaced. Hektor pushed the bloodied finger onto the document and next to his signature. He then handed the needle to Charlie, who did the same.

“The contract is signed in name and blood. The Ministry will honor my request,” Hektor said. “I will deal with the document, do not worry,” he continued and stood up. “Thank you, Charlie,” he added before leaving.

Charlie sat in The Leaky Cauldron alone for an hour, just staring at his hands. He stayed there silently till one witch approached him and touched his shoulder, bringing Charlie out of his trance. 

“Thought you’d been petrified, dear,” she said.

Charlie, saving face, merely laughed it off and got up, leaving The Leaky Cauldron and returning to the Burrow to say bye to his family before he returned to the reserve.

*** 

_ -present day- _

*** 

“This is Emily Brogevski,” the Ministry representative told Charlie, holding up a photo. “As I understand it, Hektor Brogevski and his late wife, Marie Brogevski, left guardianship to you, Charlie Weasley, in the unfortunate event of Mr. Brogevski’s death.” Marie Brogevski was another early tragedy of the war.

“Yes, sir,” Charlie nodded. 

“I need you to come with me to settle some inquiries and finalize the guardianship,” the representative said, leading Charlie to a port key.

*** 

Draco had stretched and yawned, waking up alone in his bed. He remembered last night fairly well, including asking Charlie to share the bed with him. He was grateful that the red head had respected his boundaries during his drunken state. With how he was last night, Charlie could probably have taken full advantage of him and Draco would have done nothing to stop him. He was so thankful that his husband was such a good man. He was also thankful to have woken up with Charlie already off to work. He didn’t think he’d be able to keep up his composure with the embarrassment he felt for drinking so much and acting so...un Malfoy like. For Merlin’s sake, he was clingy. He had to do something to get those ridiculous memories out of his head and just hope that Charlie never brought it up again. Surly there would be some sort of anything around this countryside village that would occupy his time. Draco considered bringing the book Chalrie had gotten him with him in case he happened to find a nice place to read, but then decided against it, not wanting to risk damaging it.

Draco got out of bed, cleaned and showered himself, dressed properly for an outing amongst muggles, and left the Fireseed by himself. He walked down their little road, surrounded by empty fields, now owned by couple. Had Draco still been in school, it would be the perfect place to practice quidditch. The little road continued, eventually bringing Draco into the village proper. It was pretty quaint, Draco had to admit. 

The sound of Draco’s stomach growling stopped him mid-step and caused a nearby teen to laugh. “You must be hungry, sir,” the boy said. He had been sweeping in front of a shop. A shop, Draco then notice, that was in fact a café. 

“You serve breakfast here?” Draco asked.

“Of course we do,” the boy replied, ceasing his sweeping and opening the door for Draco.

“Thank you,” Draco replied politely before entering the café. He was greeted to a simple room with a counter and a good amount of tables and chairs. 

“Good mornin’, sir,” greeted a teenage girl with a slight smile. She appeared to still be tired. “Can I get you anythin’ today?”

“I was wondering what you had for breakfast here,” Draco asked, looking up at the menu behind the girl and glad to have brought his wallet with muggle money with him.

“Got the menu up there,” the girl pointed, “and the daily specials,” she added, handing him a piece of paper.

“I will take the egg and sausage plate,” Draco ordered, “with a coffee, please.”

“How’d you like your eggs done?” she asked, writing his order down.

“Scrambled, please,” he added.

“Got it, I’ll bring your coffee out to ya’, so just find yourself a spot.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Draco replied, sitting down at the spot by the open window. The boy had finished sweeping and returned inside, looking a bit more cheerful to see that Draco had ordered something.

“My parents own this place,” the boy told him, “we’ll fix you up something real good.” The boy looked down at Draco’s hand and saw his ring. “Bring your wife next time,” the boy then added.

“I’ll make sure to tell my husband about this place,” Draco kindly corrected with a smile.

The boy blushed at the correction, probably embarrassed for assuming. “We stay a-afloat due to word of mouth,” he quickly sputtered and then walked off to the back, presumably where the kitchen was located. 

Draco didn’t mind the assumptions. Male and female couples were what people’s minds concluded to when seeing a married person. More often than not, it was probably a correct assumption for the people of the small village he would now call his home. He didn’t feel angry at the boy for assuming he had married a woman, like his father and mother had hoped for, although his mother had dropped her want of grandchildren from Draco when it became apparent that he would not be having any with a witch from some prestigious family or out of love. Out of love... He did not love Charlie, at least not yet. He could, he realized. He could easily love Charlie with time. That was just the kind of person his husband was; easily lovable. He thought he would never be in a marriage out of love, even as a young boy. It was no secret that the Malfoy family, along with many other pureblood wizarding families, arranged the marriage of their offspring in order to keep their bloodline status pure, as well as to forge and ensure political alliances along the way. When Draco’s interest in men came to light, his family was torn about it. He had not been the first of the Malfoy family to prefer the company of men over women, or vice versa, but he had been the only child of Lucius. There were other branches of the family to carry the Malfoy name for Draco, but his father had always hoped he would carry it on, as well. When, or if, word reached his father that his son was now a Weasley, he’d be proper upset.

“Here is your coffee,” the boy brought out. “Sorry about earlier,” he added.

“Thank you,” Draco said, accepting the coffee and the apology. “It’s not a problem, by the way.”

“I shouldn’t ‘ave assumed,” the boy insisted “It was wrong of me and I do hope you bring your husband here to eat despite my discrepancy in assuming.”

Draco sipped his coffee, despite it still being a bit too hot for his tongue. It tasted heavenly despite the temperature. “With coffee this good, there would probably nothing you could say to me to keep me from returning,” Draco told the boy with a smile.

The boy returned the smile, glad to hear. “Thank you, sir,” he said and then returned to the kitchen.

*** 

Charlie read and reread the guardianship letter he received at the police station. It had been translated from Hektor’s native Russian to English for Charlie. Marie had been an American touring Russia when the couple had met. Emily had learned both languages from her parents, much to Charlie’s relief, and most likely Draco’s. He had yet to inform his husband of the guardianship, believing the possibility to never come to pass. Fate had other, unfortunate, plans for the Brogevski family.

“Emily is in the other room,” the detective told Charlie. “She has been made aware of the event and has been told she will be leaving with you as her newly appointed guardian. There will be a period where you and your spouse will be met with an inspector to see how she is adjusting to her new environment, as well as to inspect her living quarters. Is this agreeable for you?” 

“Yes, sir,” Charlie said.

“Good,” he appeared to have relaxed before taking a seat next to Charlie. “She has been crying, which is not unexpected. She will need you and your husband’s devotion and care, more so in the coming months. It will most likely be difficult for her to uproot her life in Russia to move to England.”

“I will do my damndest to make her feel comfortable,” Charlie had told him. “I knew her parents for a long time from the reserve. Marie’s death had been so hard on Hektor. Emily had been very young at the time, but she knew.” Charlie remembered the days after Marie’s funeral. He had held Emily in is arms as Hektor spoke to his wife’s gravestone, telling her of his love for her and their daughter. He had never told her goodbye, Charlie realized. Almost like he knew they would be reunited sooner, rather than later...

“That little girl in there needs you, Charlie Weasley,” the detective had told him.

“I will be there for her,” he said, but he was still terrified of the future. He had no idea how to take care of a child.

*** 

Draco had enjoyed the food and coffee at the café. He had felt full after eating his plate and enjoyed speaking more to the boy that had worked there. He had learned that the boy, Peter, had worked there with his sister, Amy, and his mother, Lea, who worked in the kitchen. The café was family owned and run by the three. Peter and Amy’s father had not been mentioned and Draco had not asked.

“We close up at 10 tonight,” Peter told him.

“I don’t know when my husband will get back from work, but I will make sure to tell him about this place,” Draco told the boy after he paid for his meal.

“Did you guys move in recently?” Peter asked.

“We did.”

“Wondered why I’ve never seen you before. Where about?”

Draco explained where the Fireseed was, which the boy had nodded to the explanation, apparently knowing the location fairly well.

“Always ‘ave seen the place, but never knew anyone that lived out that way. Pretty secluded.”

“My husband and I wanted to live somewhere without the hustle and bustle of city life.”

“A city boy, are ya’?” Peter asked with a laugh.

“A bit, perhaps,” Draco chuckled, although he had lived more in a gated community than in the city and Charlie had only live at the Burrow and the reserve, to his knowledge. “The country is quiet.”

“I hear ya’,” Peter agreed. “A little too quiet,” he then huffed. “Nothin’ ever happens out here.”

“Sometimes that is preferable,” Draco told him.

“I suppose,” Peter admitted.

“I better get going,” Draco said. “I have some things to attend to.” Those being chores that he planned to learn spells in order for them to do them all for him.

“See you later,” Peter waved.

*** 

“Emily, this is Mr. Weasley,” the councilor at the station had told the little girl, aged 8 years old.

The child had green eyes, currently red and puffy, and dark black hair. If Charlie didn’t know any better, he’d have assumed the girl was related to Harry from the resemblance. Her mother, however, had looked exactly like her daughter, in nearly every way. Except for Hektor’s nose, which the man had always claimed was too strong of a feature for his daughter to not inherit. A sign of the Brogevski family lineage, he had once told Charlie.

Charlie squatted to where he was at her height. “My name is Charlie,” he greeted. “I met you when you were very little,” he told her, “so little that I could hold you with one arm.”

She made a small upturn of her lips at that, which was Charlie’s hope at the very least, as something to break the ice and get her to warm up a little. She walked towards Charlie and stared at his arm. It had a nasty scare on it from his Hogwarts days, surprisingly. “What happened?” she asked, moving her tiny hand over it, feeling the roughness of it.

“I was climbing a tree when I was still in school,” he began. “One of my classmates had a cat that got stuck up the tree. I went to help her get out of it. I managed to grab on to her and when I was climbing down, a limb cracked. She got scared and clawed me to hold on. We made it down safely, except for this,” he explained, showing her more of the scar.

“Poor kitty,” she whispered, continuing to rub her tiny fingers over the bumps of the scar tissue.

“She was scared,” Charlie repeated. “She didn’t mean to hurt me.”

“Do you have any pets?” she then asked.

“No,” he told her. “I don’t, but we can talk about changing that, maybe.”

Emily’s eyes brightened at the idea and she smiled.

“We will have to discuss it with my husband,” he added, “but I think we can convince him,” Charlie told her, as if they were plotting some sort of plan.

Emily even laughed at Charlie’s words.

“We need to grab your stuff,” Charlie told her.

The girl nodded, running back to the room she was previously in in order to get her bag packed for her by the officer and child services representative that had picked her up from her school and brought her to the station.

“I think you’ll do just fine,” the detective told Charlie.

“We will have the rest of her belongings delivered to you throughout the week,” the child services representative informed quickly as they walked past the room.

*** 

Draco walked back to the Fireseed feeling full and satisfied. He was even looking forward to trying out some new spells in order to figure out how to enchant the sponges to wash dishes on their own and for the laundry to wash, dry, and fold itself. House elves had always done these tasks for the Malfoy family, so spells to do them were never even considered, let alone learned. Draco didn’t even really know where to start, he realized. Perhaps he would have to wait until Charlie returned home or even venture to the Burrow to ask Molly for help, a thought with was both terrifying and pleasing in its own way, as his mother-in-law had been very welcoming to him during the events of their wedding. He only hoped some of the less accepting siblings of Charlie would not be there if and when he appeared. He did not plan on doing these chores by hand, after all.

When Draco had entered the front room of his home, he was surprised to see that Charlie had already returned from work. He was even more surprised to see a full bag sitting on the floor, next to the door.

“Charlie?” Draco had asked. His husband had looked troubled and sad, even. “Charlie?” Draco had repeated, feeling panicked and scared. He rushed to sit on the couch, next to where his husband sat.

“Something happened today,” Charlie told him, looking grave and serious.

Something bad, Draco’s mind supplied. “Tell me about it,” Draco then asked, trying to help his husband. Charlie looked like he could burst at any second.

His husband released a shaky breath. “I have a friend,” he began.

_ You were never good for him, _ a voice in Draco’s head began._ He always would find someone better and now he has. He has your money, _ the voice continued, _ he has your entire life and now he doesn’t need ** you. ** He is leaving you for someone better. Someone who isn’t a ** Deatheater. ** _ Draco felt feint and light headed. He felt sick. His stomach was curling.

“There was an accident,” Charlie continued, not looking at his husband as he spoke.

“Charlie?” came a small voice.

Draco’s eyes snapped to the origin of the sound, finding a young girl instead of a new lover. She was a child no older than 10, Draco assumed.

“This is Emily,” Charlie introduced, taking Draco’s pale and cold hands in his own tan and warm ones.

Draco felt his muscles relax and the sick feeling fade. 

Emily only stared when she realized Charlie was no longer the only adult in the room.

“Emily, this is Draco,” he told the girl, “my husband.”

Draco felt he could form no words, only stare at the child as if children were alien to him.

“Draco, dear,” Charlie began, holding Draco’s hand in his own and looking into his husband’s blue eyes. “Emily is going to be living with us,” he told him. “I am her legal guardian,” he continued.

“What?” Draco asked. He heard Emily’s voice hitch and looked over to see her closing the door to what was Charlie’s room.

“I promise I will explain everything,” he told Draco before standing up and rushing to the bedroom to comfort Emily. 

Emily. Charlie’s...child?

Draco’s head felt heavy and he leaned back, letting the softness of the couch cradle him as he closed his eyes and listened to the sobs of the young girl in Charlie’s room while the man attempted to comfort her.

_ You did that, _ the voice said. _ She is crying because of you. _

He needed to make things right. 

He stood up.

He walked towards the door.

He opened it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well..there she is.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break. I got a promotion at work (hopefully one that is not just for the holiday) and have been really busy with training and new hours. Hopefully this longer chapter makes up for the absence.
> 
> Thank you for reading!

Emily Brogevski at the age of 8 years old, was approached by a woman in a dark blue suit with a briefcase. She had seen women like her before on the street and in movies. They held important jobs, her dad had told her, and that was why they needed to dress that way. It made them look important because they _ were _ important. So, why was this important woman approaching Emily and talking to Emily? Because something important had happened and Emily had lost her daddy.

Emily had cried when the important looking woman had told her. Emily had cried when her classmates saw her in the office of their school. Emily had continued to cry when her classmates ran to her with hugs, trying as well as 8 year olds know how to, to help Emily. Emily continued crying in the car, at her house, in her room, and at the police station. She even cried when the councilor had given her a sandwich, which had been peanut butter and jelly, her favorite. But, she did not cry when she met Charlie Weasley because, even though he looked like he had also been crying, he held a smile on his face that Emily knew was for her. She did not cry when Charlie Weasley told her about saving a cat from a tree. She did not cry when Charlie Weasley told her he did not have any pets. She didn’t even cry when Charlie Weasley brought her to his home via floo, which her parents had frequently used, as well, to show her where she would now live.

“This is my room,” Charlie Weasley had told her, “but you can sleep in it if you would like.” She did want to sleep in it because it felt warm in that room. He had showed her another room before his. It had not felt warm and Charlie Weasley had noticed. 

“I like this room,” she told him, looking up at him. He was very tall, taller than her daddy is. He also looked different than her daddy looked. Her daddy had blond hair, brown eyes, and a mustache, but Charlie Weasley’s hair had been red with no facial hair to speak of, although he also had brown eyes like her dad. They felt familiar to her.

“Then this will be your room,” he told her with a big grin. She felt herself grin, too. “My husband will be home sometime soon,” he told her. “He doesn’t know you are coming, but I think you will become good friends with him.” 

“I like friends,” she mumbled to herself, looking around the room some more and crawling up on the bed. She tried to hold back the yawn, but it forced itself out of her and she suddenly felt very tired.

“You should take a nap,” Charlie Weasley told her, pulling the blankets over her and tucking her in. It was just like her daddy does when she gets home from school on the days he is home during that time.

She only was able to answer with another yawn and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

*** 

It had not been long until Emily awake to the sound of a door closing. She heard voices in the other room, so she got up and opened the door. “Charlie?” she asked, still tired. Charlie Weasley was sat on the couch next to another person, a man with hair that was nearly white and with piercing blue eyes. He looked at her with confusion and perhaps fear.

“This is Emily,” Charlie Weasley had said. She watched as the red headed man took the hands of the blond into his own. “Emily, this is Draco, my husband,” he said, facing her. “Draco, dear,” he then said to the man, “Emily is going to be living with us. I am her legal guardian.” Emily wasn’t sure what ‘legal guardian’ meant, but she remembered hearing the important woman say that a few times, but she had been too upset to even ask what it meant. 

The blond man must have not understood, either, because his only reaction was, “What?”

It sounded so...cold. It brought back the sadness Emily had felt. She quickly retreated to the room and closed the door behind her. She heard a few voices on the other side as she jumped back onto the bed and buried herself under the blankets, crying into the pillow. What if Charlie Weasley’s husband did not want her? Would Charlie Weasley then not want her, as well? Emily wanted him to like her. She liked him. He was the only person to smile to her today. Everyone else had cried, looked at her sadly, or showed little to no emotion when speaking to her about the death of her daddy.

“Emily,” Charlie Weasley began once he entered the room and closed the door behind him, “come here, please, and talk to me?” he had asked. 

Emily uncovered herself and looked to see the concerned Charlie Weasley in front of her. He sat on the bed with her and brushed away the tears on her face.

“He doesn’t like me?” she asked. More tears fell.

“No, that’s not it,” Charlie Weasley told her, pulling her into a hug. “That’s not it at all,” he said.

She wrapped her little arms around Charlie Weasley’s large abdomen. He was warm, like the room. He was comfortable, like her favorite sandwich. He felt safe, like her daddy. Emily cried into Charlie Weasley’s chest like she had done to her daddy when she had stubbed her toe when she was practicing cartwheels or when she had watched _ The Land Before Time _ for the first time. But, this was like neither of those times because Charlie Weasley was not her daddy.

“I want my daddy,” she cried out.

Charlie Weasley, for all he was, held on to her as she cried and wailed out. He held on to her as the tears stained his shirt and bled through, touching his warm skin under with their wetness. He held on to Emily as she mourned the loss of her daddy, knowing he would never return. He would never hold her again as he once did. Her daddy was gone and he was never going to come back. Her daddy was dead. But, Emily knew, Charlie Weasley was here. Charlie Weasley would protect her. But, Charlie Weasley was still not her daddy.

Emily did not hear the door open. Emily did not hear the soft words spoken from Charlie Weasley as she cried into his chest. Emily only felt Charlie Weasley pull her from his chest. Tears still falling from her eyes, Emily looked up to see the blond man, Draco, standing in front of her. He no longer looked at her with confusion. He now looked at her with a different emotion that Emily could not remember the name of. It was sadness, yes, but a new kind of sadness. She saw it on the face of children at her school when they would be too rough during recess and another kid would find themselves in tears. Guilt, her mind then supplied. Draco looked at her with guilt.

“Emily I did not mean to make you feel unwelcome. I am sorry,” he told her.

This did not stop the crying, but it did make her feel a little better. At lease she knew that Charlie Weasley’s husband did not dislike her, at the very least.

“Emily,” it was Charlie Weasley that spoke, “I know that I am not your father, but I would like us to all try to be a family. If you would like,” he added.

Emily did not reply with her words, as she was often told to do during class. She nodded. She wanted to have a family. She also wanted her daddy, though.

“Emily, why don’t we get cleaned up and go out for dinner later on?” Draco suggested. He had a small smile on his face. The guilt was still there in his eyes, but it was much less than before. 

“Maybe,” Emily got out. He voice sounded rough from her crying episode. 

Charlie Weasley. Charlie. He smiled at her, brushed her hair out of her eyes, and added, “We could even get some ice cream.”

“I like ice cream,” Emily told him, feeling a little better.

“Are you thirsty?” Draco asked. 

She nodded, yes.

“Let me go get you some water, then,” he told her. He left the room, leaving only Charlie and Emily.

“Are you feeling any better?” he asked.

“A bit,” she admitted.

“Draco didn’t mean to make you sad,” Charlie then told her.

She didn’t reply, only pulled Charlie back into a hug. He rubbed her back; soothing her and making her feel better.

“Draco doesn’t get to see his father anymore,” Charlie told her. “I think he understands how you feel.”

“He does?” she asked, looking up to Charlie.

“You can ask him,” he told her.

She nodded, yes, that she would defiantly ask Draco.

“I think the three of us need to get to know each other better, don’t you think?” Charlie asked.

She nodded, yes, again.

Draco came in, then, with a glass of water.

Emily accepted it and took a few sips. She suddenly felt very sleepy again and yawned.

“You want to take another nap?” Charlie asked. “Maybe a longer one this time,” he added. “You only got a few minutes earlier.”

She nodded, yes, and Charlie tucked her in, just like he had the time before, and left her to quickly drift off to get the sleep her body and mind desperately needed after the stress of the day.

*** 

Charlie and Draco left the room, knowing that Emily would be out like a light.

“Sit down, please,” Charlie asked, moving to the couch. “I promise I’ll explain.”

Draco nodded and sat next to his tired and distressed husband.

After a moment or two of silence, followed by some deep breaths, Charlie finally explained everything. He told Draco about the contract he signed years ago, about the death of Marie, about how he didn’t think anything would ever happen to his friend, and how he had become the guardian of an 8 year old girl. “He was just doing as he normally did, according to the reports,” Charlie said, tearfully. “He had been at that reserve for two and a half years. The dragons knew him and he knew them. The reserve in Russia is stricter than the one I’m at. There are more rules, there are more regulations, and there is more staff. Someone should have been helping him.”

Draco listened to his husband’s every word as tears began to form and roll down his face. He listened to his questions of why and how. He listened to every word as he told him what Emily had gone through before he got there, of how she had to listen to the report all alone, how she had to walk out of that school without anyone there to hug her and tell her they loved her. Draco listened to every word that Charlie told him when he said Emily would be his biggest priority now. Draco listened and he understood. Draco listened and agreed. Draco told his husband that he would be there to support him and to support Emily.

Charlie cupped his husband’s cheek and rubbed his thumb along his face lovingly and swiping the tears away with his fingers. “Thank you,” he told him. 

Draco leaned in and kissed Charlie. It was a small peck, but Draco hoped it would be reassuring to his husband. He really did intend to stay by both of the sides of Charlie and Emily. 

“I guess we’re going to have to cancel that date,” Charlie mumbled, leaning onto Draco’s shoulder.

Draco chuckled, “I suppose we will.” He enjoyed the weight of Charlie on him. It felt nice. He was usually the one to lean onto the other, but Charlie needed him, he supposed, and he was more than willing to be there for him.

“Can we stay like this for a while?” Charlie asked.

“Of course,” Draco replied, moving to wrap his arm around Charlie.

The two stayed like that until they, too, fell asleep.

*** 

Emily woke up feeling better rested. She was in Charlie’s bed, just as she remembered falling asleep. It was a comfortable level of warmth, but she was hungry now. She got out of the bed and opened the door, reveling Charlie and Draco asleep on the couch. They looked so peaceful, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from waking them up. They may be hungry, too.

“Charlie,” she whispered loud enough for him to hear. 

Charlie twitched a little bit, but stayed asleep, while Draco slept motionless.

“Charlie,” she said a bit louder, this time waking him.

“Emily?” He asked, opening his eyes and seeing the little girl. He sat up and looked over to his husband. He smiled at the sight and combed his fingers through Draco’s blond hair. “Are you hungry, darling?” he asked her. 

She was not used to being called ‘darling,’ instead hearing her daddy lovingly call her kisa, for her love of cats. But, she supposed she could get used to it. She didn’t think she wanted someone, anyone, to use her daddy’s name for her. It was only for him. She was hungry. “Yes,” she answered him.

He smiled and got off the couch waking Draco in the process. Charlie walked to the room she had slept in.

Draco stretched and patted the spot on the couch Charlie had just vacated, inviting Emily to join him. She accepted, hesitantly. She was still more comfortable with Charlie, but she felt she should give Draco a chance.

“How did you sleep?” Draco asked her.

“Good,” she told him. “The blankets kept me warm.”

“Can’t have you getting cold,” he told her. “Charlie is probably getting dressed in something a little more comfortable and then we can go eat.”

She smiled, “I’m hungry.”

“What would you like to eat?” he asked her.

“Hm,” she thought. She couldn’t remember what had been British food that she had had before. Coming up empty, she said, “I want to try British food.”

“I suppose we can go out for some roast,” Draco suggested, although he wasn’t quite sure if roast was strictly British. Did they eat roast in Russia?

“I like roast,” she told him, excitedly.

“Roast?” Charlie asked, walking out in a fresh pair of pants and a long sleeved shirt.

“She wants British food,” Draco clarified. 

“Sounds good to me,” Charlie said, grabbing his shoes. “Get your shoes on and we can leave,” he told the two.

*** 

Charlie, Draco, and Emily apparated to The Leaky Cauldron, knowing it would be a safe place to pop up. Emily had informed them both that she had never visited England before and that she wanted to see everything. Charlie informed her they would start with dinner before anything else. They walked out and into muggle London. Emily could barely contain her excitement when a double decked bus drove by.

“Emily, don’t run too far ahead,” Draco had called out, feeling a bit nervous with taking Emily out for the first time, the first day that had met. He didn’t want her to get lost the first day Charlie brings her home.

“You alright there, mother hen?” Charlie asked with a chuckle, holding his fretting husband’s hand.

“I just don’t want her to get lost,” Draco told him.

“She’ll be fine,” Charlie told him, “we’re here for her. Besides, anything to get her mind off of things.”

“You’re right,” Draco decided, really considering what Charlie had said. Emily had a lot put on her today. If anything could get the little girl’s mind off of it, Draco was willing to let it happen. He didn’t have to wait log, though, until Emily ran back to them. She took hold of Charlie’s hand and the three went to a restaurant at Charlie’s suggestion. 

“Table for three, sir?” asked the waiter. 

“Yes, please,” Charlie answered.

“Would you like a children’s menu?”

“Yes!” Emily had answered excitedly. She was handed a paper menu wrapping up crayons, as the menu was also an activity sheet for children to color. 

The three were led to a table, where Emily sat next to Charlie, while Draco sat across from them.

“Know what you want?” Charlie asked.

“I have an idea,” Draco answered, looking over the list of soups.

“Any you?” Charlie then asked Emily.

“Roast beef,” she requested happily.

“To drink?” Draco asked.

“Apple juice,” she replied, just as excited as she was for roast beef.

“What about you, dear?” Charlie asked.

“Mind sharing a bottle of wine with me?” Draco asked.

“I’d love to,” Charlie answered.

The waiter eventually came, took their food and drink orders, returning shortly with two glasses, a bottle of wine, and a glass of apple juice, much to Emily’s excitement.

Charlie and Draco made casual conversation, while Emily mostly colored, occasionally asking Charlie, and Draco on occasion, a question. It was very obvious that Emily felt more comfortable with Charlie, than Draco, but the blond didn’t let that fact bother him. It was only natural for her to feel more comfortable around the one that comforted her the most and was the most familiar.

When their food came out and they began to eat, Emily told them that she loved roast beef. Charlie and Draco smiled and ate their meals in relative silence. After, Charlie paid for their meal and the three left.

“I believe someone promised another someone some ice cream,” Charlie said once they stepped back out on the street, giving Draco a look.

“I think I remember that,” he replied with a smirk and looked down at Emily, who had said nothing and merely watched the two with big and pleading eyes. “What do you think?”

“I like ice cream,” she quickly replied.

”I don’t know,” Charlie began, “are you sure you have enough room?”

“I always have room,” she insisted, serious.

This caused both men to laugh as they escorted their young girl to the nearest ice cream shop.

***

_ -the next day- _

*** 

Draco decided to take the train to his new job. He had only taken the Hogwarts Express, but never public transportation. Charlie was so kind to take Draco to the train station in their little village, with Emily in tow, and explained to him where to get off at, as well as where he would go once he reached the right station. Really, Charlie was so much better adjusted to muggle life than Draco, although Draco suspects that Charlie had had his entire childhood to become adjusted with his muggle crazy father raising him, not that he felt any ill will towards Arthur Weasley, of course.

So, here Draco Malfoy-Weasley was, sitting on a train, chugging through the underground, and headed towards his new job. He felt terribly excited about it all. He had never really worked a day in his life, other than school work and trying to not get killed by You-Know-Who and his eccentric followers. He had also had never ridden a train with muggles. It would probably be a day full of new experiences, he thought to himself.

He reached his destination and departed the train, glad that he had made it to the right place. He really hoped there was a place to apparate near the bookstore, because he wasn’t sure how many times he could handle riding the train without reading The Daily Prophet or using magic out of pure boredom. 

When Draco made it above ground, he recognized the area and made his way to the store.

“Welcome,” called out the woman working the cash register when Draco entered.

“I’m here for my fist day,” Draco told her, feeling a bit shy. His fingers played with his wedding ring while the woman nodded and walked to the back of the store. Another woman followed behind her when she returned.

“You must be Draco,” she began, brightly smiling towards him. “I’m Tanya and you’re going to be shadowing me today.”

“Oh, alright,” Draco replied, feeling a bit smothered by her smile and gaze.

“We’re going to start with filling shelves,” she told him, leading him towards the back of the store, where she was originally. There were cardboard boxes on the floor, filled with books. “Have you ever worked retail?” she asked, crouching down and taking the books out of the box and placing them on the empty shelf space.

“Never,” Draco replied, following her action.

“Well, book stores are pretty easy, all considering. Especially if you like to read,” she told him.

“I’ve been getting back into reading,” he told her, “had been too busy to do any, up until recently.”

“What made you choose _ Page Turner _ ?”

“Liked it,” he simply told her, “seems to be a good little shop.” He smiled. “I also like the cozy atmosphere.”

“Suppose that’s a good reason as any,” she admitted, looking at his hand as he put a book up next to the one she just placed.

“Married?” she asked.

“Yes, recently,” he told her, feeling he may as well get to know his co-workers. “What about you?”

“Nah,” she admitted, “not yet, but Bes is,” she said.

“Bes?”

“She was the one up front,” Tanya told him. “Guess I should have led with that, makes sense you don’t know anyone’s names.”

“I think she is the one who told me about the hiring,” Draco said, now that he really thought about it.

“Maybe,” Tanya replied, “she is pretty friendly and we’ve been trying to hire someone to replace Johanna.” She finished putting the last book from the box they were currently working on onto the shelf. “We hire a lot of women,” she admitted. “Surprised Floyd hired you.”

Draco looked at her, confused and blushed a little, “Is that a bad thing?” he asked, a bit concerned.

“Nah, not really,” she said. “Floyd says girls seem more welcoming and are usually the ones that apply, but he really just likes to be around women, I think. “

“What does that say about me?” Draco asked.

“Well,” she looked Draco up and down, as if he was being appraised, “you’re damn pretty,” she admitted. “Maybe he thought he’d better hire another guy for appearances and you happened to be nice to look at. Plus, you’re married, so you wouldn’t be looking at any other woman than your wife.”

So, not for his skills or anything, but because he was _ nice to look at. _ He had heard from members of the Ministry that there have been bids for his engagement based on his looks, with the perks of the Malfoy inheritance as a bonus. It made him feel sick that he had allowed something to happen to him that was similar.

“You okay?” she asked, looking at him concerned. “You’ve gotten pale.” She moved the back of her hand over his forehead. The warm skin felt nice against his skin, still chilled from the outside air.

“I’m fine,” he told her, “just a bit surprised, is all.”

“Hey, don’t listen to me,” she told him, looking guilty. “I don’t know what your interview was like or your skills and qualifications. I’m just talking out my ass. “

“It’s just that there have been similar situations I have found myself in,” he admitted.

She put her arm around him and leaned against him, “Let me show you the best part of the job,” she said, standing up and pulling him with her. She pulled him to the back and pulled a key out of her pocket. “Floyd doesn’t really come to the shop much these days. We make him plenty of money, which he then blows on who knows what, so he don’t know about the keys we all have for the private room.” She unlocked another door and opened up a room with golden light streaming in from a window. The room was larger than it had any right to be with how the building was on the outside. Two levels of books and book shelves stood in front of Draco that nearly took his breath away. The golden covered railing shined off the sunlight and the air was warm. There was also a tinge of magic in the air and that told Draco more than he needed to know about this place. “Pretty amazing, isn’t it,” Tanya said. “Sydney’s worked here longer than any of us. She made sure everyone who works here can enjoy this room. Floyd doesn’t even know about it, I don’t think. Don’t know how she does it,” she then admitted.

Draco looked at Tanya hesitantly from the corner of his eye, but saw that she was just marveling at the room, as if Draco had been the one to show her, instead of the other way around. “Who is Sydney?” Draco then asked.

“She’s the manager here, but she doesn’t work again till next month,” Tanya explained. “She had to take off for a family emergency.”

Draco had till next month to meet the witch.

*** 

After seeing the room, Tanya made it her mission to make Draco feel accepted and comfortable at _ Page Turner, _ including having Bes join them for some shelf stocking while the shop remained empty.

“Doesn’t really get busy till after four,” Bes explained. “Then we get swamped.”

“But, we open earlier to prepare the store. No reason to lock the doors. Nobody comes in, really, in the morning. If they do, they’re pretty easy to help and check them out quick,” Tanya told him.

Draco wanted to make a real effort with this job. He had been so excited before and he didn’t want Floyd’s whatever about him to change his mind. Even if there was a witch working there, as well, who may or may not be using illegal spells on muggles, specifically the owner. It was a risk he was willing to take in order to be able to get out of the house. Even now that Emily was with them, Draco still felt the need to make his self more useful than just a stay-at-home-husband. He wasn’t even good at domestic chores and spells. He really needed to find the time to ask Molly to help with those, as well as advise on raising children.

“Tell me about your spouse,” Tanya asked, while they were all cleaning the windows at the front of the store.

Draco smiled at the thought of Charlie. “He’s ginger,” Draco said with a smile. “His family and mine had famously not gotten along, even since I was little. Except out mothers,” he then added. “Then Charlie and I got together. He has a lot of siblings and most of them were against our marriage. I went to school with some of them.”

“Real life Capulet’s and Montague’s, sounds like,” Bes said with a smile.

“Yeah, we’re kind of like that,” Draco agreed, recognizing the play.

“What’s he like?” Bes asked.

“He’s unlike anyone else I’ve met, really,” Draco admitted, finding that a bit sad. “He is kind and always trying to do the right thing. Doesn’t care about how others see him and he’s real loyal.” Draco snorted a bit. “Real bull headed. Charlie’s stubborn as hell.”

“He sounds lovely,” Tanya said.

“He’s the one that came in with you when you applied,” Bes realized, snapping her fingers together in realization.

“What, you’ve met him?” Tanya asked, looking at Bes.

“He’s real handsome,” she said, causing Draco to blush. Little butterflies danced in his gut, thinking about how true that was.

“You’ve got to bring him back,” Tanya whined to Draco.

“I’ll bring him,” he assured.

“Planning on kids?” Bes asked.

“Charlie actually came home with one yesterday,” he admitted. “We’ve only been married for a little over a month,” he explained, “but, there was an accident and Charlie’s friend had a daughter. She lives with us now.”

“That’s pretty insane,” Tanya said, staring in shock. “You, my friend, have a hell of a path you’re taking.”

“Yeah,” Draco agreed. He wouldn’t trade it, though.

*** 

_ -five days later- _

*** 

Charlie had taken a few weeks off from work in order to help Emily adjust to her new living environment while Draco had begun his new job at the book store.

“Emily, you understand that you will be starting a new school in a few days, yes?” Charlie had asked.

“Already?” she asked as a reply.

“Yes, darling,” he told her.

The funeral had happened two days after Emily came to live with them and it had been hard on all three of them. Mostly Emily, as it was her dad, but Charlie had also lost a dear friend. Draco had been trying his best to stay strong and positive for the two.

“You have to be a big girl, okay?” 

“I know,” she muttered. “What if I don’t like the kids?”

“Get to know them,” he told her. “I’m sure they would like to get to know you, as well.”

“I suppose,” he replied.

“It is close to here, so the bus will be able to pick you up after the first few days,” he told her. “Until then, I will be dropping you off.”

“And pick me up?”

“And pick you up.”

Emily smiled, satisfied with that answer.

Things in the Fireseed have been pretty hectic, as of late. Charlie and Draco had been scrambling to fill out the proper forms to get Emily into the nearest school, very pleased to find out it was considered a good school. Along with Draco starting his new job, and loving it, the two newly dubbed parents had been receiving the rest of Emily’s things. They had to have a talk with her at some point about starting her wizarding schooling, as she would be attending Hogwarts, instead of Koldovstoretz, as she had always thought. She had also gone with the two to get her school necessities, such as her uniform and school bag. 

Charlie also had to talk to his parents about he and Draco’s new bundle of joy. Regardless, there was one more far pressing matter that Charlie had to deal with before any of that.

“Emily, can I talk to you about something?”

Emily walked up to Charlie. There was concern written across her face.

“It’s something that I think is important, even if it doesn’t seem that way to you. But, it will be important to Draco and I, as well as your school.” He and Draco have discussed adoption. Specifically, Draco’s adoption of Emily, as Charlie had already been approved of her adoption due to his godparent status.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked in a small voice.

“No, darling, you didn’t do anything wrong. I just wanted to bring this up to you now before Draco gets home and we can have a full discussion of it, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I want you to think about Draco being your other parent. He and I have talked about it and we both think it would be best if he fills out adoption papers for you. But, we would like to talk to you about this before we do anything,” Charlie explained. Emily and Draco’s relationship had a rocky start, but she had begun warming up to the blond, much to Charlie’s relief, and Draco had been trying his best to be a good parental figure to her in his own misguided pureblood elitist way, such as buying her affection with confections and ice cream, much to Charlie’s amusement and horror. The young girl had become used to receiving some sort of pastry or iced treat from Draco at every outing. Charlie only insinuated once and that had been the first day with Emily, so he felt he was not to blame. “Think about it for me.”

“I will.”


	10. Chapter 10

Draco had adored the changes in his life. His new job was everything he never knew he needed; as a way to stave off boredom, communication to new people, and in its own way, a way to make, well, friends. Friends. He considered his co-workers his friends. Not like he had any knowledge or experience with any real friends. His lackeys from school had hardly counted and he wasn’t sure how to classify his relationship with his husband, but Draco was too big of a coward to confront Charlie about it. But, he was glad to experience these new things called friendship with these muggles, who knew nothing of his family lineage, knew nothing of magic, and only saw him as a person and not a leverage piece.

There was Charlie, his husband, whom he felt comfort with, felt safe with, and felt affection from. The Weasley was damn near saint status, as far as Draco was concerned, swooping in and saving him from an arranged marriage to some old, fat, and abusive politician that was only interested in his family name and the fortune that came with it. He couldn’t even imagine the horrors he would have faced if he had to marry any one of the men on the list given to him by the Ministry. Charlie came to him, yes by request of both their mothers, but, he had treated Draco fairly. He had treated Draco like a person, not an object to exploit. He had defended him and he had protected him from the wizarding community. Charlie had given up a lot for Draco, he realized. Charlie may have gained the Malfoy family assets via Draco’s inheritance, but Charlie also gave up his freedom. Charlie will never be able to enjoy his work as much as he wants, because now he has a husband to care for. Charlie will never be able to find the person that he is meant to be with because he has already promised himself to a life with a Deatheater. Charlie has even given up his room to his goddaughter and taken the last spare. Even if Draco learns to love Charlie, as he believes he will, would Charlie ever love truly him back?

Then there was Emily. Charlie brought the little girl home with him, much to Draco’s surprise, as he thought all the packed bags was Charlie leaving him. But, no! Thankfully, that was not the case. As selfish as it is, Draco was relieved to discover Charlie had instead brought home his goddaughter, which he supposed was now his adopted daughter, which Draco also would like to ask Emily for her permission to become her adopted father, as well. He adored the little girl, he felt good having her around, he smiled when bringing her home a scone or muffin after work and seeing her face light up. He felt so happy to see her face when she saw them walking towards the ice cream parlor when they went out and he wished he could capture the moments when she would give Charlie a big hug. His favorite moments, though, were when Emily would take his hand as they walked, like it belonged there. Draco never deemed himself fit to have and raise a child, considering he had no point of reference since he was practically raised by a team of servants. Yet, here he was with his husband, raising a little girl that he felt he could never live without. She had filled something in his heart he never realized was empty. 

Despite all the fear he still held, Draco did adore his new life.

Draco also realized he needed to tell his mother of the new child in his life. He wondered if Charlie had told Molly. 

He didn’t need to wait long to find out, perhaps unfortunately. When Draco returned to the Fireseed with his dear Emily’s lemon cupcake, he saw the mail that had arrived. Two Howlers waited for the Fireseed residents. One addressed to Charlie and one addressed to Draco. 

“Draco!” Emily greeted, running up to him with a big smile on her face when she saw the cupcake. It was almost enough to make him forget the impending scowling he was about to receive, potentially from both his mother and mother-in-law.

“I saw this and thought you’d like an afternoon snack,” Draco told her, handing her the cupcake.

She nodded, yes, that she would enjoy that.

“Welcome home, dear,” Charlie greeted, kissing Draco on the forehead. “I assume you saw the mail,” he continued.

“I did,” Draco answered, feeling his cheeks heat up, as well as a sense of dread.

“Emily, Draco and I are going to sort through some letters in my room. Knock if you need anything,” he told her. 

Draco picked up the two Howlers and followed Charlie into his room.

Charlie closed the door behind them and cast a silencing spell, so Emily would not hear.

Draco sat down on the bed, preparing himself. “I’ll go first,” he said, opening the Howler to get it over with.

_ “Draco, you better have a good reason for me to be sending this to you!” _ the Howler began in Narcissa’s voice. _ “I’ve had the Ministry on my back for the past week regarding this goddaughter situation you and Charlie have found yourselves in. It wouldn’t be so bad if the rest of the Malfoy family had not heard about it through the grapevine. Not that I blame you, Charlie, I think it is very admirable of you to take charge of this young girl,” _ the Howler continued, looking towards Charlie, who sat next to Draco, wide eyed in shock. _ “I’ve been having those accursed Malfoys hounding me since the marriage about not having an heir to the Malfoy bloodline after I allowed you and Charlie to marry. Now that there is a potential adoption, I hear nothing if it? You think I don’t want to meet my granddaughter? If I don’t hear from you within the next few days, I will come there myself. And yes, before you even think about asking, Molly does know and is probably hotter about this than I am.” _ The Howler then ripped itself up and fell to the floor.

“That wasn’t so bad,” Charlie told Draco, rubbing his hand along his shoulder.

Draco stared wide eyed at where the Howler once was. “I’ve never heard mother use that tone of voice before,” he admitted, still in shock.

“Just wait till you hear mine,” Charlie told him, opening the Howler.

_ “CHARLES WEASLEY!” _ Molly’s voice began with a shout. It felt as if the room shook for a moment. _ “I am a hair trigger away from flooing to that home of yours and beating you for keeping my grandbaby from me. How ** dare ** you adopt that little girl and not even tell me about it. This is my first grandchild and you’re keeping her hidden! How dare you! ** How dare you!** I expect to see you at the Burrow with my grandchild and Draco in tow ** tomorrow.** You want to know how I found out? ** The Ministry. ** Those spineless cretins had the gall to ask your father how the new grandchild was faring. You better have a good explanation for this or I’ll be hexing you into next week!” _ The Howler then ripped itself up, just as the one from Narcissa did.

“That could have been much worse,” Charlie said after releasing the breath he had been holding.

“Your mother scares me,” Draco admitted, shaken by Molly’s fury. She was such an intimidating and strong woman.

“Do you have work tomorrow?” Charlie asked.

“No,” Draco told him, knowing he’d be going to the Burrow. After all, Molly Weasley demanded it.

“I better tell Emily we’ll be going to meet her...grandparents,” Charlie said, not really knowing how Emily felt about it. After all, she didn’t see Charlie or Draco as her parents. They were just the two men taking care of her. Charlie may be her legal guardian, but he wasn’t her dad.

“And ask her about the other thing?” Draco added, questionably. 

Charlie turned to his husband and smiled. “And about the other thing,” he added, kissing Draco on the cheek. 

“You can kiss me more,” Draco said, softly.

“Would you like that?” Charlie asked.

“Would you?”

“Very much so,” Charlie told him.

Draco smiled. “After we talk with Emily?”

“We can do that.”

“I would like to speak with you, as well,” Draco told him, flustered. “Alone. About some things.”

“I would very much like to speak with you,” Charlie told Draco, reaching up to brush back the hair in his face. He then kissed Draco, not on the forehead or the cheek, but on the lips. It was short. It was sweet. They both wanted more.

“We better go talk with Emily,” Draco said, not trusting himself if they delayed the talk any longer.

“I gave her a heads up about this, by the way,” Charlie said.

“Thank you.”

*** 

Emily sat on the couch, while Charlie and Draco sat on either side of her.

“Emily, do you remember what I told you earlier today?” Charlie asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“Have you thought about it?”

“Yes,” she repeated.

“What do you think?” Draco asked, quietly. He had been fidgeting, nervously.

She looked up at Draco and smiled at him. “I would not mind it if you became my adopted parent,” she admitted and leaned against him.

There was a warmth in Draco’s chest that felt familiar. He felt it when Charlie asked him to marry him. It wasn’t love, exactly. Belonging, he felt. Acceptance. Maybe love, if he really thought about it. It could become love, he thought. He could love Emily and he could love Charlie. He knew he could. “Thank you,” Draco told her and suddenly she hugged him. He felt tears drop down his cheeks. He was crying because he was happy. 

“Come here,” Charlie soft spoke, embracing the two in his strong arms. 

Draco felt so happy.

This was his family.

*** 

Emily was put to bed early that night after they told her she was going to meet Charlie’s parents. She reacted pretty excitedly, asking all sorts of questions about them. Charlie merely told her she’d find out as an answer to everyone and Emily made a puffy face as her way for saying she had not accepted the answer Charlie had given her. Draco couldn’t help but chuckle at the display.

“We can talk in my room,” Draco suggested, leading Charlie by the hand.

“Alright,” Charlie said, allowing himself to be lead by the blond. He felt a bit anxious at what Draco had to say.

They entered the large room and closed the door behind them. Draco cast a silencing spell on the room, not wanting to wake Emily. He sat down and took a breath, letting it go back out slowly.

Charlie sat next to him and put his hand on Draco’s as a sign of comfort. “What would you like to talk about?”

Draco opened his mouth, trying to get out the words. He felt the anxiety squash his courage. He had to get this out, though. He closed his mouth and breathed again. “I would like to know where we stand,” he began. It was hard to get out and his throat felt like it was contracting to the point of suffocating him, but he just had to talk to Charlie. He needed to.

“Are you upset with me?” Charlie asked, concerned, but not pulling his hand away. 

Draco turn his hand to where it was open to Charlie’s, allowing it to be held. He looked down at the two entwined hands. “No, I’m not upset,” he replied, calmly. He felt the pressure on his throat tighten a bit more, before releasing slowly. “I want to know how you feel about me,” he finally said. “You kiss me, we hold hands, you call me pet names,” Draco continued. “I like them.”

“I do do all those things,” Charlie agreed. “I like you, Draco. I like you a lot.”

Draco looked up from their hands, seeing Charlie’s face. It looked happy, but there was no smile. His lips did not turn upwards, but his eyes told Draco that Charlie was happy. “I think I like you, too,” Draco admitted, shyly.

“You only think you do?” Charlie asked, leaning in.

Draco did not reply, only connected their lips. It was not as erotic as the night he had been straddling Charlie on the couch, but it still felt amazing. 

Charlie was taken aback at first, not expecting Draco to kiss him, but he was glad he did. Charlie reached up and cradled Draco’s face, as he was ought to do, and deepened the kiss. Draco was so soft under his lips, reacting to every move he made. His husband was jaw droopingly beautiful, anyone could agree, but at this moment, he could only think of how sweet Draco really was. He hid it behind his attitude, which had become more and more subdued with his job and Emily. He also hid it behind his anxieties and fears of how others perceive him. Now here Draco was, about to become an adopted father to a young girl who needs all the affection and love she can get. Draco had always been selfish, according to his brothers and in-laws, but Charlie knew that Emily was changing that. Draco did not once get mad at Charlie for taking in Emily. He did not once ask about her extended family. He did not once ask to not be a part of her life. 

Draco pulled back from the kiss and stared into Charlie’s brown eyes. “You can stay here,” Draco said, “in this room. With me.” He then blushed, adding an, “if you want.”

Charlie leaned in to kiss Draco again, pulling back and telling him, “I would like that.”

“I sleep on the left side of the bed,” Draco then told him.

Charlie chuckled, “Good thing I sleep on the right side.”

Draco smiled and kissed Charlie again. It was slow and sweet. There was no wildness to it and there was no invitation to more. It was a simple kiss that meant more to Charlie than any other they had shared, well, apart from their kiss at their wedding.

“I don’t want to you to feel pressured for more,” Charlie told Draco, breaking the kiss.

“I don’t feel that way,” Draco told him. “I like you and I like kissing you.”

“I don’t want you to feel pressured for anything beyond kissing, either,” Charlie then added.

“I don’t,” Draco told him, kissing him again. He then pulled away. “I’m not pressuring _ you, _ am I?”

“The only pressure I feel from you is approval for buying Emily gifts,” Charlie joked. “You don’t pressure me with anything like this,” he told Draco, referring to the kiss.

Draco then nodded, leaning against Charlie and wrapping his arms around him. Hugging Charlie felt natural, it felt good. “Do you want more?”

Charlie sighed and Draco felt he had asked the wrong thing, he broke the hug and removed his arms, sitting up as to not touch Charlie. “Maybe,” Charlie then admitted.

Draco felt some small relief, knowing he didn’t offend Charlie.

“What about you?” Charlie asked. The man felt like such a jerk for saying he wanted more than Draco was willing to give.

“I think I will, eventually,” Draco admitted.

“What do you want right now?”

“At this exact moment?” Draco asked.

“At this point in our marriage, what do you want?”

“I want hugs,” Draco began, “they feel nice and warm from you. They are very comforting and help me get over any negative feeling I had from the day. I also want hand holding. I feel like they help ground me to what is happening around me. I want cuddling on the couch with you,” he continued. “It’s like your hugs, but different. Sometimes I even like it when you tickle me during our cuddling,” he admitted. “I also really like kissing you. When you kiss me, I feel wanted, like this marriage isn’t just a political one or one made out of desperation. I want to feel like your husband, not just the guy you married, and I feel that way when you kiss me, hug me, cuddle with me, and hold me. I want to share a bed with you,” Draco took in a deep breath. His lip trembled. “I want this relationship to be real,” he told Charlie. 

Charlie was taken aback, suddenly. He wasn’t expecting such an outward pour of Draco’s wants. He didn’t know what he was expecting, really, when he asked Draco. But, Charlie had a choice now. He could accept all these things that Draco wanted and try to have a real relationship with his husband or he could reject them and continue playing pretend with his own emotions.

Draco waited for an answer from Charlie, knowing he had gone too far and said too much, but it was all out in the open now. This is what he wanted.

“Draco Lucius Malfoy-Weasley,” Charlie began, “when I asked you to marry me, I had no idea how happy you would make me. As your husband, I am over the moon with your dedication to making the best of a hard situation and with all the devotion you have put into helping make Emily comfortable in our home. When I look at you, all I see is the beautiful man I have come to know as an enjoyer of literature, a hard worker, and a kind hearted person. We may have begun this relationship backwards with marriage, a kid, and now me asking you to be my partner, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Draco was moved to tears with Charlie’s speech and hugged the man tightly.

“I am going to spend the rest of my life with you as your husband,” Charlie continued, “not out of obligation or responsibility, but because I want to.”_ I think I may love you. _

Draco entwined his fingers into Charlie’s, looking down at the two rings as he laid his head against his husband’s shoulder. He felt the pounding of his heart against his chest and felt the same warmth from before. _ Is this what love feels like? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry for the long beak. Okay, maybe it wasn't really all that long...13 days...I think? Anyways, what happened is that my partner came in for a week long visit and I didn't have time to upload a new chapter. I've also gotten a new schedule at work. 7 am shifts from here till who knows when! It'll be worth having the rest of the day to relax and do everything else I need for my day to day needs. Like random cravings for Thai food...it's an addiction, okay.
> 
> Thank you for continuing to read this story. :)


	11. Chapter 11

The Burrow had been fairly empty compared to the usual occupancies, only housing Molly and Arthur Weasley, as well as Ron, who had shown up the night before and refused to explain himself. Draco and Charlie were due to arrive in a few minutes, according to the owl that came in that morning, so Molly had begun making the welcome lunch to meet her first grandchild, Emily. She made sure to tell Ron about the three coming, so he could join them, but his attitude had been so sour lately that she wasn’t sure he would even come down the stairs, especially since he was so against his brother’s marriage in the first place. Really, she could understand the grudge her son held, but she also felt it was only right to give Draco a second chance. The war had ended and it became clear to nearly everyone that Draco had not been involved as he had been of his own volition. Some of the rumors Molly had heard made her skin crawl and she truly wondered how her son-in-law had managed to come out as sane as he is now. She had also heard from Narcissa that the boy had had a bad string of nightmares over the past few years during and after the war, but she had not heard of any recently since Charlie and Draco’s marriage.

“Are they here yet?” Arthur asked, entering the kitchen and enjoying the smell of the roast and potatoes his wife had cooked.

“Not yet,” she answered. “I do hope Emily likes the roast, Charlie mentioned in his letter this morning that Emily had a taste for it.”

“Anything you make is golden, darling,” Arthur told her, kissing both his wife’s rosy cheeks.

“Oh, get out of here before you distract me,” she teased.

Suddenly there was a thumping sound from the stairs. Seconds later, Ron had joined them in the kitchen. He still appeared pouty, but it appeared that the smell of food was enough to get the man out of his room. It wasn’t until ten minutes later did Charlie floo in, followed by a girl who must have been Emily, and then Draco.

“Charlie, it’s about time,” his mother said, pushing past him and moving towards Emily. “You must be Emily,” she began with a big smile, bending down to the girl’s eye level. “I’m Charlie’s mum, Molly; it’s so nice to finally meet you.”

Emily shyly hid behind Draco, who put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, Emi, Charlie’s mum is very nice.”

Emily looked up at Draco and then back at Molly before stepping out from behind him and introducing herself, “I’m Emily.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Emily. That is such a lovely name. Charlie told me you like roast, is that right?” Molly asked.

“Yes,” Emily quickly replied with a smile.

“Good, because I made some for you,” Molly said with a big smile. “Would you like to help me set the table so we can eat?” 

She looked back up to Draco for confirmation. Upon receiving a nod, she smiled back at Molly and followed her to the kitchen.

“I see you’re still here,” Ron said to Draco. 

The blond hadn’t even noticed him, too caught up in Emily to pay attention to his surroundings. “I am,” was all he had said before joining Molly and Emily in the kitchen.

“You could be a little more kind, brother,” Charlie commented, walking outside to tell his dad, who was outside picking some flowers for the table, that they had made it.

Ron merely snickered.

*** 

Lunch had been...awkward. Arthur and Molly had been absolutely loving their first meeting with their granddaughter, as they were adamant on calling her. She had been hesitant at first about calling them grandma and grandpa, as she had never called anyone that. Charlie recalled Marie’s parents never meeting the girl. They were very unhappy she had married a Russian man and moved to the far off country. They were muggles. Hektor had lost both his parents in a house fire when he was in his twenties, so they had never met Emily. It was just as bad, if not worse, for Draco, who had been glared at the entire time by Ron. Arthur and Molly Weasley had been too wrapped up in Emily to notice. Charlie had not wanted to cause a scene, but the whole thing was a bit ridiculous in his opinion. After lunch, though, everyone was shocked when Draco pulled Ron aside with the comment of “we need to talk.”

They went outside. It was quiet and away from Emily because Draco didn’t want her worried. “What’s your problem?” Draco asked when they were out of reasonable ear shot.

“Are you joking?” Ron asked. “You really don’t understand?”

“Our childhood may have been strained and different than any average childhood, but things are different now,” Draco said. “We’re adults, you know.”

“You’re telling me that I need to just forget that you’re a Deatheater who married my brother in some sort of arranged marriage and everyone should just accept that?” Ron barked back.

“What is this really about, Weasley?” Draco asked in a huff, crossing his arms.

“Weasley? Have you forgotten you’re one too now, you prick? Or is Charlie just a convenience to you? Does he matter to you at all or is that cold black heart of yours just that?”

“Don’t bring Charlie into this,” Draco snapped. “This is between you and me. So tell me what your problem is.”

“You’re my problem!” Ron yelled. Draco was sure the others could hear that back at the Burrow. “You’ve always been my problem. How could you even think it was somethin’ else? You’re the problem, Malfoy.”

Draco gritted his teeth and glared at Ron. “I wasn’t exactly happy with the circumstances, but I took it with stride and I’m adjusting. Maybe you should do the same,” Draco said, trying to not let his temper get the best of him.

“Adjust? Not happy? Bullshit, my brother showed up like some sort of white knight and from where I was standing you looked more than happy to hop in bed with him to save your own ass,” Ron fired back.

Draco was seething. How dare that red headed pig accuse him of such foul claims. “You may think you know me, but you don’t. You don’t understand what I was going through and what I’m going through now. Yes, I may have seen Charlie’s offer as a way out, but that doesn’t mean I jumped at the opportunity because it existed. If it wasn’t Charlie, I’d probably still be harassed by the Ministry. I’d still be receiving threats on a daily basis and I wouldn’t be able to even leave my home because I’d be too scared of what could happen. My mum would still be in a constant state of worry for my wellbeing. I wouldn’t be welcome anywhere. Your brother came to _ me, _ he approached _ me. _ He was kind to me and he was a decent enough bloke to choose _ me. _ Do you understand that I have no rights to any of my own money anymore? Do you understand that I forfeited everything I ever had to your brother? I have nothing except your brother and that little girl in there,” Draco cried, pointing to the Burrow. “I have _ nothing. _ I _ am _ nothing, now.” Draco’s eyes burned as he looked at Ron’s face. “Try to remember that there are others suffering besides your pride.”

“How fucking dare you,” Ron replied. His face was redder than his hair as he scowled and starred daggers into Draco. “He chose you, did he? Did you forget that your mum came crawling to mine, beggin’ for one of my siblings to marry you? Out of pity for the sorry state you’re in, most likely. Maybe Charlie got the better end if he got all your wealth. Besides, you married my brother so of course it would affect me. It affects ** all ** of us. Do you think people don’t talk? You may forget, but I _ do _ work at the Ministry and I _ do _ hear what people say, because they are saying it to _ me. You’re _ the one that needs to remember that others have to deal with the aftermath of the choice of you and my brother made.” Ron scoffed. 

“I didn’t realize,” Draco replied. His voice had gone quiet and Ron almost didn’t hear it. “The choice I made to marry your brother was my own, please know that.” Draco ignored the comment about Charlie getting Draco’s wealth. He knew better than to think that was Charlie’s reason.

“Of course you didn’t realize. You’re too wrapped up in yourself to notice anything around you. Let’s hope that little girl realizes what a fucking waste you are, prick,” Ron spat.

“Don’t talk about Emily,” Draco glared. “Don’t bring her into this.”

“Why? Worried she’ll realize that you’re a ** Deatheater? ** A ** waste? ** ”

“Stop it!” Draco screamed. 

“Or what?” Ron egged on, taunting Draco.

“I’m trying my best. I’ve made mistakes! I know,” Draco cried out. His face was red with anger, just as red as Ron’s.

“Do you love him?” Ron asked.

Draco was taken by surprise. He looked at Ron, who stood before him with that Gryffindor stubbornness he always remembered from him. There was the determination to stick up for his family and the courage to follow through, as well. Draco might have admired it if it wasn’t for the fact that he had damn near hated Ron Weasley more than anything.

“I’ll take your silence as a no,” Ron then said. “Should have known,” he then continued, “a monster like you is not capable of love. Don’t love him, probably don’t love her, either.”

Draco didn’t know what came over him at that moment. Suddenly, he was leaping at Ron. There was screaming he would later realize was his own as he landed onto the red headed man, who was taller than him and carried muscle that Draco simply did not possess. He was slammed to the ground in an instant and pinned. Ron was on top of him, holding Draco’s arms above his head. The two sneered at each other as Draco tried, and failed, to release his arms and just hit the man.

“I deal with dark wizards every day, no way I’d be caught off guard by a little lying ferret like _ you,” _ he spat out, holding Draco down.

“I do love him,” Draco shouted as loud as he could, feeling the tears leak from his eyes. He was so mad at Ron. He was so mad. So mad he screamed. So mad he fought. How dare this person, any person, insinuate that he was incapable of love, that he did not love Charlie. 

“I don’t believe you,” Ron told him with hatred in his voice. 

“How would you know?” Draco demanded. “Where’s Hermione? She not love _ you _ anymore?” He knew it was a low blow. It was defiantly uncalled for. Hermione’s absence had been an elephant in the room the entire day and Draco shouldn’t have called attention to it, especially not while the two were at each other’s throats.

“You mother fucker,” Ron whispered. Draco thought Ron would hit him. Instead, he spoke very softly. Draco thought the hot headed Weasley would snap and kill him, even. Pull out his wand and kill him instantly. But, he didn’t. He got up and let Draco go. “You’re just as heartless as I always knew you were,” Ron told him, looking away.

Draco stood up and dusted himself off, regretting all that left his mouth about Ron’s absent wife. “I haven’t told your brother that I love him, but it doesn’t make it any less true,” he said. “I’m sorry for bringing her up. It’s obviously a sore spot and it’s not my place.” All the fight he felt earlier washed away from him.

“You’re damn right it isn’t,” Ron spat, glaring at Draco. “You don’t know anything about me, you don’t know anything about her.”

This was wrong. They shouldn’t be fighting. Draco had brought Emily here to meet her grandparents, not so Draco and Ron could duke it out in the countryside of the Burrow. They were family now. They should start acting like it.

Draco sucked in his pride and walked over to Ron. He knew he had to make amends. He couldn’t go on like this, _ they _ couldn’t go on like this, and he should try to get to know his in-laws. “My name is Draco Malfoy-Weasley, and I’m your brother-in-law. I brought your niece to meet her new family and it’s nice to meet you,” he said, holding his hand out to Ron, who looked confused.

“Ron Weasley,” he said, but didn’t shake his hand offered, instead eyeing it like it was some sort of poisonous object. 

“I’d like to get to know you better, Ron,” Draco said, “for both our sakes, for Charlie, and for Emily.” 

Just like that, it was like something clicked. Suddenly, there was no more animosity in the air. No more calling for blood in the minds of the two men, dirty now from their roll on the ground.

“You really love my brother?” he asked.

“I do,” Draco said.

“Then you better prove to me that you’re worth his love.”

“I will,” Draco told him, accepting the challenge Ron had placed on him. For Charlie, he believed he would do anything. The man had pretty much saved him, even if Charlie never realized the extent of it.

And just like that, the two boys had agreed to start over and let the past be the past.

*** 

Molly and Charlie waited in the kitchen for the two men to return from whatever heart-to-heart they probably were not having, while Arthur and Emily were upstairs in Charlie’s room, looking through old photos.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Molly assured Charlie, who stared out the window with a worried look on his face.

“You think so?” he asked.

“Well, probably,” she then said. “Ron has mentioned quite a few times his dislike for Draco. Not all of it was unjustified, mind you,” she pointed out.

“Mum,” Charlie whined, “you’re not making this any better. Besides, I thought you liked Draco.”

“I do, dear,” she said, avoiding Charlie’s gaze.

“Mum,” Charlie said in a disapproving tone.

“It’s just I don’t know him all that well and what I do know is from Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry, mostly.”

“I suppose he wasn’t the easiest person to get along with from his school days,” Charlie admitted. “Even Draco acknowledges that.”

“At least he is self aware,” Molly said.

“Unlike Ron,” Charlie added.

“You know he got my stubborn streak,” she said, almost proudly. “They’ll be fine, dear.” 

“I suppose they must be,” Charlie said, looking out the window. “They’re on their way back.”

Draco and Ron walked a few good feet apart, but closer than they were when they had left. The two both looked like they’d been through a wind storm from how tousled their clothes and hair were. Grass and leaves covered the two.

“What happened?” Molly demanded, worriedly looking the two over.

“Are you alright,” Charlie asked his husband. He became more worried than he already was when he saw the tear stain and redness under Draco’s eyes.

“I’m fine,” Draco told him, assuring him with a squeeze of his hand on Charlie’s.

“Ronald?” Molly questioned, waiting for her youngest son to comment.

“We’re...good,” he admitted, walking past them and up the stairs. “I’m going to clean up,” he then told them.

“What happened?” Charlie asked, after hearing Ron’s door close. Molly waited silently for an answer, as well.

“We talked,” Draco said.

“More like screamed at each other,” Molly retorted. They had heard their voices, but didn’t make out any actual words.

“We talked,” Draco repeated, “and screamed at each other. We also may have gotten into a scuffle, but only for a second.”

“Are you okay?” Charlie asked, again, wanting to make sure Draco really was alright. 

“I’m okay, Charlie,” Draco told him. He added a smile for reassurance. “Where’s Arthur and Emily?”

“Upstairs, looking at Charlie’s baby pictures,” Molly said, with a smile.

Draco looked at his husband deviously, “I want to see,” he said.

Charlie pouted, but didn’t stop Molly from leading Draco upstairs and to Charlie’s old room.

“I’m back, Emi,” Draco told the girl, who was sitting on the floor with Arthur, surrounded by old photo albums.

“We’re looking at pictures,” she told him with a grin. “Charlie used to go to Hogwarts!” she beamed. 

“I did,” Charlie said, sneaking up from behind Draco. He then wrapped his arm around Draco’s middle and rested his chin on Draco’s shoulder, watching Emily get excited over old pictures of family members she had yet to meet, or never would, in some cases.

“Did you go to Hogwarts,” she then asked Arthur.

“I did,” he told her, “we all did.”

“Even Draco?” she asked, looking at the blond, who couldn’t help the smile spreading across his face.

“Even Draco,” Arthur said with a smile, looking to the blond.

Draco had not had many encounters with Arthur as Charlie’s husband, but he did as Lucius’ son. The encounters he had had in the past were unpleasant for Arthur, Draco knew. That didn’t stop the man who had become his father-in-law from accepting Draco into his home. He was still pleasant with Draco, which Draco was grateful for, even if their communication now was brief. Perhaps that was to be expected, really. Draco had left a hard impression to fix from his youth. He had a lot to make up for.

“Emily, darling, we need to get going soon,” Charlie told her. It was getting late and getting closer to the time Emily had been scheduled for her bath and then dinner. The talk that Draco had had with Ron also needed to be questioned, in Charlie’s opinion. Really, he was just so curious.

“Aw,” Emily whined, “do we have to?”

“You still need to have your bath,” Draco told her.

“You could use one, too,” she countered, not really making a good case for herself to stay.

“I do,” Draco agreed.

“Which is another reason we need to leave soon,” Charlie told her. 

“Fine,” she mumbled, admitting defeat. She stood up and hugged Arthur. “Can I come visit again,” she then asked Charlie.

“Of course,” Molly said before Charlie could even open his mouth.

“Yay,” she cheered, running to Molly, hugging her, too.

“We’d love to have you visit more,” Arthur told her.

They all went down stairs, except for Ron who had not reemerged from his room. Charlie, Draco, and Emily all prepared to floo home. Before leaving, Emily proudly said, “Good bye, grandma and grandpa!” before flooing back to the Fireseed.

Molly and Arthur watched as their first grandbaby left, missing her already.

*** 

“I forgot to ask your mother about domestic spells,” Draco said. The two had just put Emily to bed after dinner. She had bathed and was sleepy enough to not even fight them when they told her it was time for her to go lay down.

“You’ll have another chance,” Charlie told him, wrapping his arms around his husband and nuzzling into his neck. He smelled nice, having showered while Emily took her bath. 

Draco laughed, “You’re tickling me, Charlie.”

Charlie smiled, mischievously, but didn’t do anything further. “What did you and my brother talk about?” he asked. They were lounging on the bed together, not yet ready to go to sleep. The mood in the room suddenly went from playful to more serious. 

“I asked him what his problem was, we talked about it, screamed at each other, and finally we decided to start over,” Draco told him, then got more specific, telling him more.

“I’m surprised Ron even agreed to that,” Charlie admitted after listening to the full story, well, with some minor details left out.

“I don’t expect him to suddenly forget everything I’ve done to him or his friends, or for me to forget everything that has happened,” Draco added. “But, I want to try and I think he does, too.”

“Can’t believe you brought up Hermione,” Charlie trailed off.

“I was mad at him,” Draco said, making sure he had left out the part where he confessed his love of Charlie to Ron. “I made a mistake.”

“I know you’re not telling me everything and that’s okay,” Charlie said. “I’m fine with you keeping something between my brother and you. Mistakes happen and I’m glad that you realized that and tried to make amends. The two of you have a long history between each other.”

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes that I need to make up for with him,” Draco admitted. 

“You have time,” Charlie told him, pulling Draco to his chest. “Right now, I want to hold my husband,” he said, kissing the top of Draco’s head.

“Thank you for moving in here,” Draco said, enjoying the warmth radiating off of Charlie.

Charlie hummed, “I’m just happy you wanted me.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Draco asked. “You’re my husband and I want our relationship to improve.”

“Before we married,” Charlie clarified, “I didn’t know how happy I would become when you said yes,” he told Draco. “Before, I only felt we would live together, share a space, and maybe talk on my days off. I never imagined sleeping next to you, holding your hand, and raising a little girl with you. You make me very happy.”

Draco listened to the words fall from Charlie’s lips. When he had finished, Draco looked up to his husband. _ I love you. I love you, Charlie. _ “You make me happy, too.” He moved his hand up to cradle Charlie’s cheek and kissed him, putting as my feeling into the kiss as he could. He wanted to tell Charlie how he felt, but there was still fear of rejection binding him from uttering those words to his husband. Instead, he would let his feelings be known like this. 

Charlie moaned into the kiss, rolling Draco over to where he was lying on his back. Charlie hovered above him, deepening the kiss, wanting to pull the same delicious noises out of Draco as Draco had done from him. 

Draco moved his hands up to Charlie’s hair, running his fingers through the soft locks. He then moved them down Charlie’s back and settling them onto his hips, not willing to go further without permission. He felt Charlie’s tongue slide against his lips, asking for entrance, which he gave. He felt Charlie’s rub up against his, letting his tongue explore and entwine with Charlie’s. 

Charlie then pulled away and broke the kiss, instead moving down to Draco’s neck. He kissed it and licked it, causing Draco to moan a little louder than before. Charlie couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face, knowing he had caused those noises from his husband. Suddenly, he felt something prodding into his thigh. He looked down and in between their bodies, seeing a tent in Draco’s sleep pants, as well as his own, which he had known would inevitably happen. He looked back up to Draco’s red face, flushed from both the excitement of it all and the embarrassment for having his erection’s presence brought to the light. “Nothing to feel embarrassed about,” Charlie told him, softly. He then kisses Draco again, dipping his hips a bit to let his husband know they were in the same boat.

Draco felt relief, knowing he had also caused the same reaction to Charlie’s body, as Charlie had done to his. He also felt enormous pleasure when Charlie’s hips lowered, grinding his erection against his own. Draco couldn’t help but moan out Charlie’s name, causing the said man to only kiss him harder and faster.

“You’re going to drive me wild, babe,” Charlie said, breathlessly in between kisses.

Draco almost didn’t want to stop, but he knew that they were edging into parks unknown for him and he still had work in the morning. “We should stop,” Draco whispered, hating the sound of his own voice.

Charlie pulled back, slowing his kisses and giving mere pecks along Draco’s jaw line. “Sorry if I pushed things too far,” Charlie said, feeling guilty and knowing Draco still wanted to move slowly.

“You didn’t,” the blond assured with a smile. “We should get some rest, though. I have work tomorrow and there is no telling when Emily will wake.” He really did enjoy kissing Charlie and the...touchier parts of the make out session. He just wasn’t ready for more at that moment. 

“Never know when she’ll wake up,” Charlie muttered, rolling off of Draco and laying beside him. “You sure it was okay?” he asked. “I didn’t go too far?”

“You didn’t go too far,” Draco told him, rolling on his side to face Charlie. He kissed the red head again and placed his hand on Charlie’s hip. “I liked it.”

“I like you,” Charlie said, kissing Draco, once more. “Wanna kiss you all the time.”

“Hmmm,” Draco hummed into the kiss. “Maybe later.”

Charlie pulls Draco into a hug. “I do like you, Draco,” he says. “I like you a lot.”

“I like you, too,” Draco says. “Probably more than I should,” he then admits.

“Why do you say that?” Charlie asks, looking concerned.

“I guess I,” he begins, “I just never expected such kindness. We fought on different sides of the war, our families have always been opposed to each other, I mean, your brothers have probably never said a kind word about me once,” he continued, “I barely knew of your existence before my mother told me we were to meet in Diagon Alley.” He took in a breath. “I think part of my problem is that I don’t see any reason to be liked by you. I don’t see myself as good or worthy of you. You’re too good for me,” he admitted with a hitch of his breath. “I’m nothing but a cold hearted coward that allowed himself to be manipulated and forced into being a Deatheater because I was scared.” Draco began to tremble. “I was scared,” he repeated.

Charlie pulled Draco into his arms and let the man cry.

“I was scared.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Food is the way into your adopted granddaughter's heart, right? And then you solve all your problems with fists before words?
> 
> I'm tired...
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

Draco cried himself to sleep in Charlie’s arms. Charlie knew that there was probably a lot hiding in the pit of Draco’s emotions. Suppressed rage and anger, fear of the future, fear of the past, and self-doubt. He could see moments of it, but the blond never said anything, so Charlie never brought it up. Perhaps that had been a bad move on his part. Of course Draco wouldn’t bring up the horrors he had felt, witnessed, had experienced, and probably still experienced today. There were things that Charlie had seen and experienced that he had never told another soul about. He had also suspected Draco had some problems sleeping. There had been more than one occasion where Draco had woken in the night and stayed in the living room for some time before returning to bed. Charlie had heard him open the door from the room he had stayed in before Draco asked him to move his stuff in. He had never mentioned it or brought it up to the blond. Nightmares now made more sense. Charlie had slept on and off throughout that night, holding Draco in his arms. Draco would whimper in his sleep and tremble, waking Charlie, who then would sooth him softly, holding him close and telling Draco that Charlie was there. It had happened three times and Charlie had wondered how many times they had happened where Draco had to deal with them alone, before Charlie was even in his life. Charlie was here now, though, and he would make sure to help his husband through them in any way he could.

_ I think I love you, Draco. _

Charlie kissed Draco’s wet cheek and drifted back to sleep.

*** 

Draco woke that morning, still in Charlie’s arms. He felt warm and safe, not wanting to leave the bed or the side of the man that occupied it. Then, he heard a door open and Emily had peaked in her head.

“Good morning, Emi,” Draco whispered loud enough for the girl to hear.

“Charlie is still asleep?” she asked.

“He is, so why don’t we make him a nice surprise when he wakes up?”

Emily’s face lit up and she nodded.

Draco wormed his way out of his husband’s hold and took Emily to the kitchen. “Do you know how to cook?”

“A little,” she told him. She had helped Charlie in the kitchen a few times. “Charlie says you’re hopeless in the kitchen so he and I need to learn so you don’t starve.”

“He said that?” Draco asked, mildly offended and a little embarrassed.

Emily just nodded, yes.

“Well, we have to prove him wrong,” he told her.

“Are we going to make Charlie breakfast?” she asked, happily.

“We are,” he said. “Just have to figure out what to make,” he then said to himself, looking through their cabinets. 

“Charlie bought some pancake mix a few days ago,” Emily told him.

Draco found the box and studied it. “This should do,” he told her, seeing that the box also had instructions. “We’ll show Charlie just how capable we are in the kitchen.”

“I think it’s just you he thinks is hopeless,” she reminded.

*** 

Charlie woke up when he realized he was no longer holding Draco. The bed was empty and it appeared to have been empty for a while. He sat up, checked the time, and then got out of bed. He heard some sort of noise coming from the other side of the door, but it was faint. He opened the door, hearing Moonlight Sonata playing from the kitchen. He managed to walk in, unbeknownst to his husband and Emily, who, to his surprise, were appearing to be cooking of some sort. He looked to his right and saw that the record player that was here when they moved in was on, playing one of the records he had never bothered to even look at. Draco was mixing something in a large bowl, while Emily was standing on her tippy toes next to him, trying to watch as closely as possible.

“Charlie lets me sit on the counter when I help him cook,” Emily said.

“He does?” Draco asked, looking down at her, then moving to pick her up, setting her on the counter next to where he was mixing.

Emily then saw that Charlie was watching them from the doorway, but said nothing as Charlie motioned her to stay quiet. He also distinctly remembered never allowing her to sit on the cabinets, but that would stay a secret if she stayed quiet. Draco still didn’t realize Charlie was watching, as he returned to mixing.

“You know, Emily, Beethoven was a muggle,” he told her. “It just goes to show that you can do great things, even without magic.”

“Like cooking?” she asked.

“Like cooking,” he agreed. “Although, magic can be very helpful,” he then admitted.

“Good thing I’m here to help,” Charlie whispered into Draco’s ear, wrapping his arms around his waist.

“Charlie!” Draco yelped, jumping from the shock of being snuck up on.

Emily laughed, hard.

“You knew,” Draco accused the little girl, who nodded, yes, through her laughing fit.

Charlie pulled Draco closer and hugged him, kissing his neck, and then letting go. “Making pancakes?” he observed, looking over the powder and egg shells that littered part of the counter. The milk was even still out of the fridge.

“For you,” Emily told him, proudly. “I’m helping.”

“I see that, darling,” Charlie replied, giving her a good morning kiss on her cheek.

“We were hoping to surprise you,” Draco told him, a bit sullenly.

“I am surprised,” he said, “surprised to see my two favorite people in the kitchen, listening to music, and enjoying themselves trying to surprise me.” He kissed Emily’s head and then kissed Draco’s cheek, before moving to put up the milk and clean up the messy counters.

“We’ll get that,” Draco told him, blushing from hearing that he was one of Charlie’s favorite people, but still trying to act like a responsible adult in front of Emily.

“Don’t worry about it, dear,” Charlie insisted, “I’ll get it. When do you have to leave, anyway?”

“I still have some time,” Draco assured, preparing the stove and pan for the pancakes. “I can just apparate there.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Charlie said, remembering there being an apparating location near the book store. He watched Draco put butter in the pan, wait for it to melt, and then pout some of the batter into the pan.

“What do I do now?” Draco mumbled to himself.

“It has to cook,” Emily told him, “and then you flip it.”

Draco looked at Emily, who was watching the batter in the pan. He then looked over to Charlie. Draco pouted and said, “She knows more than I do.”

“My daddy makes me pancakes sometimes,” she told him, happily, before her face fell. Her lip began to tremble and she hopped off the counter, running off to her room. 

“I’ll take care of the pancakes,” Charlie told Draco, sullenly. 

Draco nodded and followed Emily to her room. 

He didn’t bother knocking, hearing the crying on the other side. He opened the door and scooped the little girl into his arms to hold her, not knowing what else to do or to saw that would comfort her, not knowing if there was _ anything _ he could do to comfort her. But, Emily clutched to him as she let her tears fall. He body trembled in his arms from crying. She called out to her daddy, knowing there would be no response, there would be no more of his pancakes, there would be no more of his “kisa” endearment for her. Her daddy was gone, but now she had Charlie and Draco to pick up the pieces. 

“Emily,” Draco said, holding the girl. His heart felt like it was breaking with every sob. “I’m here,” he told her. He would do anything, try anything, for his Emi. 

All she could do was clutch at him and cry.

*** 

Charlie finished off the last of the pancakes. He looked at the clock and sighed. He didn’t want Draco to be late for work, but he also knew that Emily needed him right now. All he could do was wait and see how Emily was doing and hope that Draco’s boss was forgiving.

He didn’t have to wait long, thankfully, and the two reemerged from Emily’s room with Draco carrying the little girl in his arms, much to Charlie’s surprise, as he was not prepared for Draco to be that strong. Emily may be a tiny little girl, but she was heavy. Charlie took Emily from Draco and held her against him, letting her wrap her arms around his neck and her legs around his abdomen, as he hugged her and then saw his husband, silently thanking him with a look. 

Draco said nothing, just rubbed the girl’s back and then leaned into give Charlie a kiss.

“I’m hungry,” Emily softly mumbled. He face was burrowed into Charlie’s shoulder, muffling her words.

“What, Emi?” Draco asked.

“I’m hungry,” she repeated, sitting up and looking at Charlie. “Are there pancakes?” she asked. Her lip was quivering.

“Of course, darling, let me get them for you,” he told her, taking her to the dining room table and sitting her down in a seat. “I’ll bring it to you,” he told her, kissing the top of her head.

“I need to go,” Draco told Charlie, in between bites, when Charlie returned to the kitchen. He was chewing up the last of a pancake as fast has he could, swallowing and then kissing Charlie good bye before apparating suddenly out of the kitchen.

Charlie sighed, wishing his husband could have stayed with him and Emily, but knowing he had to get to work. So, Charlie grabbed the plate holding the stack of pancakes, levitated the syrup, and levitated the two plates, forks, and knifes, to follow him into the living room with Emily. Beethoven’s record was still playing, giving the room a calm feeling, even if the events were hectic.

“Yay,” Emily softly said, seeing Charlie with the pancakes.

He sat them all down on the table, along with the levitated items, and then joined Emily, serving her two pancakes. 

“Where’s Draco?” she asked.

“He had to go to work, darling,” he told her.

“Oh,” she replied, a little sadly.

“Are you okay?” Charlie asked her, knowing she very well was not okay, but she nodded, yes, anyways, and Charlie did not bring anything up. They both ate in silence, until Emily got up, ran to the kitchen and then suddenly the Beethoven stopped and another record began. I Dreamed A Dream began and Emily returned, eating her pancakes like nothing had ever changed. Charlie watched his little girl as the song played, but said nothing.

“I just like this record,” she mumbled, looking up to see Charlie still watching her.

“It’s a sad song,” he said.

“Yes,” she agreed, “but it still sounds nice.”

“It does,” Charlie agreed. As the song ended, another began. It wasn’t from the same musical. Charlie let it play and the two ate their breakfast, listening to the mixed playlist as they did.

It wasn’t long before Emily began singing along with the songs. 

“La Vie Boheme,” Emily sang out, not knowing what the song was actually talking about, but knowing she liked the La Vie Boheme part that the cast sang out.

Charlie clapped and watched as Emily laughed throughout the parts she didn’t know, which was most of it.

“La Vie Boheme,” she sang out again with the cast from the record. Emily laughed again, listening to the song, not knowing the words, but enjoying the song.

Charlie couldn’t help but smile, ignoring all the drug references and blatant sex mentioned in the song, instead watching his little girl enjoy herself. The song eventually came to an end and Charlie stood, grabbing him and Emily’s plates, taking them to the kitchen. Emily began grabbing the syrup and the other plate, bringing it to the kitchen, too.

“Tonight, we are going to stop by your new school,” Charlie told her.

“With Draco?” she asked.

“Draco will be with us,” Charlie confirmed, smiling. He was happy that Emily had become so taken with Draco over the past few days. He was worried his husband would have a hard time connecting to the little girl, and vice versa. “We are going to meet your new teacher.”

“Oh,” Emily replied, shying away from Charlie and going to the living room.

Charlie watched her leave, cast a cleaning charm on the dishes, and then went to go find her to see what was wrong. He found her lying on the couch. “What’s wrong, darling?” he asked, pulling her head up, sitting down, and then letting her head fall into his lap.

“I don’t wanna go to school,” she said. “Can’t you teach me?”

“If I became your teacher, you wouldn’t learn a thing,” he told her.

“Why?” she asked, looking up at him.

“Some people are meant to teach, I’m not one of them,” he explained. “But, I bet your new teacher is.”

“What if she’s not,” the little girl asked.

“If she’s not, then you will just have to stick it out till next year.”

“What happens next year?”

“You get a new teacher.”

“What if I like this one?” she then asked.

“If you like her, that’s great, but you’ll still get a new one,” he told her, petting her hair. “You’ll get a new teacher every year at this school,” he continued. “It is so you learn new things from new people.”

“What if I miss you and Draco?”

“You’ll see us after school,” he said. “I bet you’ll make friends in class, too. But, you have to keep magic a secret,” he added. 

“I know,” she explained. “My daddy told me that already,” she continued in a whisper.

Charlie pretended he didn’t hear, not wanting to upset her again. “Draco and I love you,” he told her.

She sat up and hugged Charlie, “I love you, too.”

*** 

Draco apparated near the bookstore and then ran to the doors.

He was greeted by Tanya, who grinned at him. “Almost late, I see,” she teased.

“Almost,” he agreed.

“Traffic?” Bes asked.

“Emily had a meltdown this morning,” Draco told them.

“Poor baby,” Bes said, looking sad for the little girl she had only heard of.

“She’ll be okay,” Draco assured. “She gets to meet her new teacher tonight.”

“Ah, yeah, school starts tomorrow,” Tanya mentioned. “Gotta remember to call my niece to hear about how her first day goes.”

“Nervous?” Bes asked Draco.

“Yes,” he admitted with a small smile. Suddenly the door opened and a young man walked in.

“Welcome, sir!” Tanya greeted, cheerfully.

The man waved and began to sign with his hands. Deaf or mute, Draco realized. He didn’t know BSL or ASL, so he would be no help.

“Oh, I’m sorry sir, nobody here signs,” Bes said, regretfully. “I have some paper and a pen if that would help.”

The man nodded and then began to write. _ ‘I’m here looking for a book for a child. My daughter loves fantasy. She can read really well, I just want to get her something for her first day of school. It’s a tradition,” _ he wrote, blushing a little at the end and smiling widely. 

“That is so precious,” Tanya told him, “I’ve got the perfect section for you,” she said, leading the man away.

“Time to get to work, too, I suppose,” Bes said, moving to begin checking the inventory.

Draco nodded and began to unpack the shipment from that morning.

*** 

Charlie and Emily spent the day talking about what she would be doing at school, what she couldn’t talk about, what she could, and what outfit Emily would be wearing. The last one was the little girl’s favorite. She ran to her room and began trying on all her dresses, looking for the perfect one. Charlie was happy that she would be able to wear what she liked. The school she was going to did not have a set uniform. Emily went through nearly every piece of clothing she had owned, all of which had been mailed to the Fireseed by the investigators in Russia, until she finally settled on the ‘one.’

They had a great time, really. 

And then the fireplace ignited while Charlie and Emily were in her room. Charlie told Emily to wait where she was. He left the room, pulling out his wand, ready for whoever waited in the living room. The green flames roared, until they began to die down, and then a figure stepped out and into the living room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short.


	13. Chapter 13

They had plenty of time to contact her, really. It was their fault that she had to come all this way. Narcissa Malfoy stepped out of the fireplace, just in time to see Charlie Weasley run into the room, wand in hand. She could have told them she was coming, but she didn’t, just like they never told her about her granddaughter, who was nowhere to be seen. “Where is she?” she asked Charlie, not even blinking at the wand pointed at her.

Charlie let out a breath, lowering his wand. “Narcissa, you frightened me,” he told her. “I’ll go get Emily.”

Narcissa felt a small smile, liking that her son-in-law skipped all the formalities, going to get her what she wanted. She heard Charlie speaking, but was unable to make out the words. Didn’t matter, really, as long as he came back with her granddaughter in tow. 

“Draco’s mum?” Narcissa heard a little girl ask, “You mean his mom?”

“Yes, darling,” Charlie’s voice said with what appeared to be a small laugh following.

Narcissa then saw Charlie emerge with a little girl. She had wide green eyes and wavy black hair, held up in a pony tail. She looked at Narcissa with her bright eyes and a smile on her face.”You’re my other grandma?” she asked, excitedly.

“I am,” Narcissa told her, smiling. She then looked to Charlie, the smile now gone. “Where is my son?” she asked, annoyed.

“He’s working,” Charlie told her, scratching the back of his head and looking away nervously.

“Working?” she asked, almost as if the word was foreign to her. “Is there a financial issue I have also not been made aware of?” she then asked, looking a bit peeved.

“No,” Charlie told her, “nothing like that.”

“I fail to understand,” she said, “why is Draco working if there is no financial strain on you?”

“He wanted something to do,” Charlie told her.

“Something to do?” she asked, furrowing her brow. “Explain.”

“He was bored,” Charlie explained. “He wanted to be able to do something during the day, since I usually work during the day.”

“I fail to understand,” she said again. “Why do you need to work when you have money. If you need something to do, find a hobby.”

“Working is my hobby,” Charlie told her. “I love working at the reserve with the dragons.”

“My son,” she began, “he also enjoys to work?”

“As far as I can tell,” Charlie said.

“Draco works at a bookshop,” Emily said very proudly to Narcissa. “He also brings me home pastries.”

“He does?” Narcissa asked her, her face melting into a smile, as she spoke to her granddaughter. “Which are your favorites?”

“I love cranberry muffins!” She exclaimed, grinning wildly at the thought of the delicious treats.

“I’ll have to remember that next time I visit,” Narcissa told her. She then sat down and reached into her purse. It must have had a charm on it, because Narcissa pulled out a small training broom. “The country side is perfect for broom training,” she told Charlie. “I’m no stranger to your quidditch career, Mr. Weasley,” she continued. “A champion on the broom as a four year team captain during your Hogwarts years. Draco was quite fond of the sport, as well. I assume the two of you will want to introduce Emily to quidditch?” She raised her eyebrow at Charlie, waiting for an answer.

“I’d love to teach Emily how to fly,” he admitted. He looked over the broom Narcissa had brought and gasped. “This is a high quality broom,” he noticed.

“Only the best for my granddaughter,” Narcissa said, as if there were even an alternative.

“This is for me?” Emily asked, looking at the broom in Charlie’s hands.

“Yes, dear,” she replied. “One day you will go to Hogwarts and learn how to fly, but there will be no harm in learning early.”

She looked to Charlie, who smiled. “I learned from my dad when I was little,” he told her. “In four years you will go to Hogwarts. You’ll learn more about riding a broom there, but till then, we’ll see what Draco and I can do.”

“My Draco does have a very keen interest in quidditch,” Narcissa commented. “Hopefully it continues with you,” she told Emily. “Speaking of which, I must talk to you,” she told Charlie, “in private,” she added, looking to Emily. She then cast her patronus, a cat, who began to run around the room, much to Emily’s delight.

“Never took you for a cat person,” Charlie said, leading Narcissa into the guest bedroom Charlie had once slept in before moving into the master with Draco.

“They are marvelous creatures,” she said, “high intelligence, masterful predators. Also, they have the tendency to be aesthetically pleasing.”

“Emily had mentioned her love of cats before,” Charlie mentioned. “I have yet to bring it up with Draco.”

“It it is what Emily wants, she shall have it,” Narcissa said, simply.

Charlie smiled, uncomfortably, knowing that the woman was used to getting what she wanted. “I’ll discuss it with Draco,” he told her. “I want to make sure he is okay with it.”

“How is my son?” She asked outright. “Do you make him happy?”

“Well, I’d hope so,” Charlie told her, looking away from her, avoiding her strong gaze. He blushed under it, feeling particularly vulnerable in front of his husband’s mother.

“Does he make you happy?” she then asked, revealing nothing in her voice or face regarding her motivations with the questions.

“He has made me happier than I could ever dream,” Charlie admitted, quickly. “Draco and Emily are my life now and I’d never trade that.”

Narcissa nodded and then sat on the bed, although tepidly. “Your marriage to my son has brought me great happiness,” she then admitted. “I know with you he is safe. The Ministry cannot harm him while he is with the Weasley clan. The remaining Malfoy family is in pure outrage at the whole affair. They contact the estate regularly, but have yet to pose any sort of threat other than a continuous annoyance. The Black family name died with Sirius, but the blame has fallen onto me, as I was the one to allow Draco to enter a marriage with no potential children to carry out the Black family legacy and blood, as though I would ever support such beliefs. My family’s thirst for a pure line was its own down fall,” she told Charlie, who was surprised by her words. “Pure bloods,” she spat, “tarnishing the blood, inbreeding it to hell. My mother, bless her, had managed to hide her family secret till the day she died. The only knowledge of it lies with me. With us, if you were interested in learning a little more about your husband,” she said, looking towards Charlie, posing her offer as if it were a test. In a way it was, really. What could be so life changing that the entire Black bloodline was spared of its knowledge, except for Narcissa. “Draco does not know,” she told him.

“Please tell me,” Charlie nearly begged.

“Your older brother,” Narcissa began, “he is no longer the only Weasley to marry someone of veela blood.”

Charlie only stared at Narcissa, wide-eyed.

“Draco knows not of his ancestry,” she continued. “He is one fourth veela. The knowledge of this would have killed him only a few years ago. Now, I believe we both know he has changed for the better.”

“Why,” Charlie began, feeling breathless, “why are you telling me this?”

“Your relationship with my son has begun to blossom into something more. I know it, you know it, and he knows it. I can smell it in the air,” she told him. “One day, he may exhibit some of his ancestral...”she trailed off, “let’s just call them quirks.”

“What do you mean?” Charlie asked, gripping the mattress under him.

“Draco may entrance you and never even realize it,” she explained, looking regretful as she spoke. “He could have you wrapped around his little finger, if he so desired, and you would do nothing about it. You couldn’t,” she then added. “With this knowledge, will you still protect your husband? Will you continue this marriage as it is now, will you still accept him?” Narcissa looked at Charlie, fear in her eyes. She was begging him, Charlie realized, or as close as could be considered begging from a Malfoy and Black.

Charlie closed his eyes and sucked in the breath of air he had been searching for, then letting it out slowly. His eyes opened, once more, and he turned to Narcissa Malfoy. “This knowledge doesn’t change the fact that I care for the man I went to bed lying next to and woke up with. It doesn’t change the fact that Draco woke up earlier than me in order to make a breakfast that he thought I would enjoy. It doesn’t change the fact that I may have stronger feelings towards your son that I don’t have the courage to admit to,” Charlie said, feeling overwhelmed by his emotions and the knowledge given to him by his mother-in-law. He fell back onto the bed and looked at the ceiling fan. “You want to know what this does to our marriage,” he stated, not asked. “It changes nothing.”

“I kept the knowledge from Lucius,” Narcissa admitted, softly. “Even now, he has no idea.”

“Do you regret that” Charlie asked.

There was a pause. “No,” she admitted, “but, I think Draco would.”

“That is why you told me?” Charlie asked, still lying on his back.

“I told you because I knew he would hide it from you,” she said, “when I tell him.”

“Is there,” Charlie began, trailing off a bit before continuing, “is there anything I need to know?” Anything else?”

“Draco will likely exhibit the signs as your relationship progresses and the two of you become more...intimate,” she explained.

“I mean, is there anything I can do to, you know, resist?”

“Resist?” She then asked.

“Yeah,” he continued, sitting up, “is there any mental training I can do in order to resist any veela mind control?”

“Veela mind control?” Narcissa laughed, or the closest the woman had come to laughing in Charlie’s presence and it was probably the first time Charlie had gotten anything resembling a chuckle out of the woman.

“I know dragons,” Charlie defended, embarrassed, “not veelas.”

“Talk to your brother,” she decided. “I’m sure he has some tips for you,” she stood up, “now if you will excuse me, I have a granddaughter to spoil,” she told Charlie. “There is a chance he will not show any sign,” she added. “He could go his entire life, never revealing his nature, although, at this point, it is highly unlikely.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I know you are a smart man, Charlie Weasley. I know how people look at my son. That in itself is evidence enough of his veela heritage,” she told him.

“Let me tell him,” Charlie requested and Narcissa turned to eye him a bit suspiciously. “Please,” he begged.

“Fine,” she said, leaving the room.

Charlie, exhausted from the conversation emotionally drained, stayed in the bed, contemplating how he would approach the topic with Bill, or even Fleur.

*** 

Approaching the topic, it seemed, would come sooner than Charlie expected.

“Grandma Narcissa is taking me to get our nails done,” Emily told Charlie excitedly. 

Narcissa merely nodded and took Emily’s hand. “We will be back in a few hours. I suggest you go visit your brother while we are out,” the woman said, apparating her and her granddaughter away.

Charlie then found himself apparating in front of Bill and Fleur’s door. He knocked, hoping they were home. 

“One moment,” Charlie heard Fleur’s voice call out from inside the apartment. He was then greeted to the surprised face of his sister-in-law and the only other veela Charlie was aware he had known.

“I have veela questions,” Charlie quickly told her, feeling nervous.

“Oh, um, come in Charlie,” Fleur said, ushering him inside, looking out behind him to make sure there were no other passersby in the hall and then sighing in relief to find nobody. “What do you mean?” she asked after she closed the door and joined Charlie on the couch where he had been fumbling with his hands and taking deep and hasty breaths.

“Narcissa Malfoy stopped by to meet Emily,” Charlie began.

“Who I see you did not bring to meet her aunt,” Fleur quickly noted with a disappointed look.

“It’s been a process and I’m working on it,” Charlie defended.

“What is this about veela you need to know?” she asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this.

“Narcissa told me Draco has veela heritage that he is not aware of and she thinks it is beginning to affect our...marriage,” Charlie admitted.

“I knew there was something about him that felt familiar,” Fleur said to herself. Her English had improved so much since she had first married into the Weasley family. She was very easy to understand now.

“What if my feelings for him are just because of his veela blood?” Charlie asked, slightly trembling feeling a bit hysterical. He cared about his husband and he wanted his feelings for him to be true. He meant what he said to Narcissa, this changes nothing about their marriage. But...he couldn’t help but wonder.

“Veela blood does not create feelings of adoration, it creates feelings of lust,” she told him, placing her hand on his shoulder as assurance. “How do you feel about Draco?”

“I think I love him,” Charlie whispered.

“Then it is not the veela blood,” she smiled, patting him.

“It’s not?”

“No,” she said, “if you love him, you love him. Erm, it is like your favorite book. You read it over and over because you like it. Not because you are forced to. I suppose to say, veela attraction of lust makes one feel compelled to be with them. Allured. Erm,” she seemed at a loss for words, trying to explain something she had such a hard time putting together. “When veela magic takes hold of a person, they do not feel themselves and they are not able to stop the feelings of lust. I have seen you with him, Charlie, at the wedding,” she clarified. “That is not veela magic. That is not lust.”

“So these feelings are my own?” Charlie asked, feeling so much better.

“If you believe you love him, it is because you are feeling that way on your own. Veela magic does not create love.”

“I need to talk with him when he gets home,” Charlie said with a release of breath he felt he had been holding in.

“You must be very delicate with this,” Fleur told him, grabbing his hands tightly. “Do not let him think he is a monster.” Charlie’s sister-in-law looked him dead in the eye. “Veela heritage is not so common with pure blood families and is frowned upon. He grew up being told he was pure blood and believing he is pure blood. My family kept it a secret until my grandmother. I am proud of my heritage, but it is not something others look at fondly. Be careful with him,” she said.

She was right, Charlie thought. He’d never really considered what society thought about most things, but he was not so blind to ignore the taunts his classmates of veela heritage had been force to go through. Cat calls, harassment, and embarrassing rumors were only the things he himself witnessed. There was no telling what sort of things they had been put through behind closed doors. He had heard of the crimes against veela students in the past, far before he had entered Hogwarts his first year, and he was ignorant to believe that they were an unfortunate stain on the past against people of mixed blood, wiped away from the present. He would do everything in his power to make sure that never happened to Draco.

“Thank you, Fleur,” Charlie told her, leaning against her. 

Bill returned home to a sight, seeing his little brother leaning against his much smaller wife, who had seemed to be accepting of it, as if she wasn’t being crushed by the muscular man Charlie was.

“I see we have company,” Bill only stated, leaving the two and going into the kitchen to prepare some tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I previously mentioned (I'm pretty sure) that I had been just kinda experimenting with this fic. I don't want some things to be the main focus (although Emily is precious and will continue to be extremely important) I want to restate (or currently state) that this entire story kinda came out of just experimentation with some ideas that came and went. The veela thing. Yeah. When I was writing this (a long time ago) it came up and I just went with it. It is there now. When I first wrote this chapter, I went back and added some things in some older chapters. They really don't hint at anything, per say, but they do hint...I guess. What I'm trying to say is that it kinda comes out of nowhere, but I also added a line or two to subtly imply that there was something there. Maybe it was too subtle and that's my bad. But...it's there now.
> 
> Oh, and to be clear, the posted chapters are the ones that I edited way before I posted chapter one. Pretty much, you don't need to reread anything because there is nothing to reread. New, anyway. If you want to reread this story, then that is so sweet of you!
> 
> Man, this is really hectic and I'm all over the place. Things have been really hard lately and my mind is jumping all over the place. I've been trying to write more, but I have hardly touched this fic. Stress has been killing me slowly, but I'm trying to be better. I'm trying to update this more than I have been, with lack luster author's notes hopefully soon to become extinct. 
> 
> As always, this series, as well as everything I have written, is unbeta'd. Thanks for sticking with this. 
> 
> If you're reading this, it means a lot. Love you all.


	14. Chapter 14

Draco returned to the Fireseed. He felt exhausted from the day, deciding to take the train home, knowing he would have plenty of time to get home after he picked up something small for Emi from the bakery at the station. He was very excited to introduce Emily to her new school with Charlie, as well as meet her teacher. When he walked through the door, he was greeted to Emily and his mother showing of their hands to Charlie, who also looked fairly tired.

“It’s about time, Draco,” his mother said, turning to see him. “I see you waited for me to come meet my granddaughter.”

“Draco, look at my nails!” Emily said excitedly, running to him. “They’re so pretty. Grandma Narcissa took me to get them done with her today.” The little girl showed off her lime green nails to Draco, who smiled, happy his little girl had spent the day with his mother, even though it was obvious that she was peeved with him.

“They look lovely, sweetie,” Draco told her. “So, you had a good day after I left?”

“I did,” she told him with a returning smile.

“Good, I’m glad.”

“We’ve got to get ready to meet your teacher,” Charlie reminded, as he walked up to Draco, giving him a welcoming pat on the shoulder.

“You start school tomorrow, is that right?” Narcissa asked Emily.

“Yes!” she exclaimed, happily.

“I better go then,” she announced. “I trust you are sending her to a well respected school,” she looked to her son and her son-in-law, who both nodded. “Next time, you’ll get to come to my house,” she told Emily, who hugged her before she floo’d away, leaving Draco and Charlie to get the little girl ready. 

“I got you a little something,” Draco said, remembering the bakery. “It’s called an egg tart,” he told her.

Emily accepted it and ate it with earnest. “It tastes so good,” she said, hugging Draco.

“Good,” Draco said, “now we need to get ready to go.”

“That’s right,” Charlie agreed, ushering Emily to her room to change. “You wanted to wear something special, right?”

“I did,” Emily agreed, running to her room and coming out later in a dress.

“You look beautiful,” Draco told her. 

Charlie moved to stand beside his husband and smiled, looking to Draco. “They grow up so fast,” he commented, giving Draco a little smirk.

“Stop it,” Draco said, playfully smacking Charlie’s shoulder. “You know I get emotional about these things,” he said softly. 

“My husband is just so very loving and protective of our daughter,” Charlie muttered against Draco’s ear as he moved behind Draco and wrapped his arms around him.

“We should get ready,” he said, as he watched Emily obliviously try on different pairs of shoes to match her outfit.

“I am ready,” Charlie told him. “What do you have to do?”

“I’d like to brush my teeth again,” Draco told him. “It’s been a long day.”

*** 

Draco and Charlie apparated near the school with Emily. It was fairly dark out and the two didn’t want Emily to feel scared on the walk. Apparating just seemed easiest.

“We need to go to the office first,” Charlie told Emily, taking her hand in him.

Emily nodded and then grabbed Draco’s hand with her other one, which made the blond very happy.

The school Emily would be attending, Briyer’s Primary, was a small campus, consisting of one large building, one gymnasium, and a playground. The couple brought their little girl to the office in the large building, finding that there were already a large crowd of parents with their own children.

“Charlie, who are all these people?” Emily asked, looking up to the red head.

“Some of them are your classmates, some of them are kids in other years, and some are parents of those kids,” he explained. 

“Classmates?” Emily asked, excitedly. “I hope they are nice,” she beamed, looking out into the crowd for kids that looked her age.

“We will find out later when we meet your teacher,” Draco told her, “but, I’m sure you will make lots of friends.”

“Do you have lots of friends from school?” Emily asked.

Draco hesitated a little. “It’s complicated,” he decided. “There was a war when I was in school, but we can talk about that more at home. We have to keep all of this a secret, remember?”

“Alright,” she accepted, although a little disappointed. 

Charlie switched hands with Emily so he could rub Draco’s shoulder comfortingly. He knew that Hogwarts was a bit of a sore spot for his husband. A lot of things happened during his last few years, he had heard, and the final year was rough on everyone that attended at that time. War claims lives. War ruins. War destroys. Charlie only hopes to be enough for Draco.

“Attention,” a woman called out to the crowd. “The list of classes will be posted in a moment. Your child’s name will be listed under the name of the teacher. After that, you can go to the classroom your child or children are assigned to. Thank you,” she finished.

“We better go wait in line to see where you will be,” Charlie told Emily.

*** 

After thirty long minutes, Charlie and Draco were finally able to find out where Emily would be placed.

“Your teacher’s name is Miss Van,” Charlie told her. “Now we need to go find her classroom.”

“Miss Van,” Emily muttered to herself, feeling how the name came out her mouth. She planned on remembering it. Her first English teacher at her first English school. She smiled to herself.

Miss Van’s classroom was at the end of a long hall on the second floor. Her door was decorated with cutouts of animals. Birds, cows, cats, dogs, and fish colorfully greeted them. There was also a cork board on the hall wall with pictures of suns. The suns had a name in each one.

“Look, darling, your name is right here,” Draco told Emily, pointing to her name.

“I know,” she told him, “I can read.”

Draco embarrassed, blushed at the reply Emily gave. Lucky for him, she didn’t even realize she embarrassed him.

Charlie tried, and failed, to hide his chuckle from his husband.

After a _ look _ from Draco telling Charlie to shut it, Draco kneeled down to Emily’s level and told her, “That’s wonderful, reading it important.” He was so embarrassed. How was he supposed to remember when children started to read? It was so long ago for him.

“When did you learn?” Charlie asked.

“When I was four,” she beamed, holding up four fingers to Charlie.

“Such a smart girl,” Draco smiled.

“Oh,” a strange woman began, walking up to the three, “are you also in Miss Van’s class?” she asked, kneeling down to Emily. 

“Yes,” she told the woman, proudly. 

“So is my son,” she said, looking back to a boy who shyly kept his distance.

“Look, darling, one of your classmates,” Charlie told her. He then looked to the woman and introduced himself. “My name’s Charlie and this is Emily,” he introduced, shaking her hand. “My husband and I have just moved here,” he told her, putting his arm around Draco’s waist. “We’re excited for Emily to meet her teacher.”

“Draco,” Draco greeted with a smile, shaking the woman’s hand, as well.

“Nora,” she introduced with a smile. “My son, Phillip, he is shy.”

The boy stayed his distance, watching as his mom greeted Charlie and Draco.

Emily, not wanting to miss out on meeting a new classmate, walked up to him. “My name is Emily, I like cats and roast beef,” she told the boy, grabbing his hand and shaking it, mimicking the process that she had just witnessed. 

Phillip, flustered, nodded. “P-Phillip, I also l-like roast beef,” he told her.

She smiled at that. “Can we be friends?” 

He nodded, red faced and shocked.

“Hopefully your daughter will get Phillip out of his shell,” Nora laughed.

“She’s pretty unfiltered,” Draco muttered, watching the scene before him.

Charlie only laughed.

*** 

Kori Van, of all her years of teaching at a muggle children’s school, never expected to have a Weasley, pureblooded family and heroes of the most recent wizarding war, escort their daughter into her classroom; a daughter who held no resemblance to the famously ginger and freckled family. Nor did she expect to have them hand in hand with a Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy’s son, to be exact. While she was unfamiliar with which of the Weasley children the ginger was, she knew exactly who Draco was. She was a Hogwarts alumni, as well, and had heard many stories regarding Lucius and his family. She was also not ignorant of the war and the role the Malfoy family had played. The fact that one of the _ Deatheaters _ of You-Know-Who was able to walk free and into her class room was an insult to all the wizards and witches that died in the war, to all the families that suffered from the war, and to all the people in the wizarding community that had lost so much from that damned war. But, she was in a muggle school, teaching children, most of which were muggles. She had to play the role of the teacher, not the witch who would be doing the community a favor and hexing that _ Deatheater _ back to the pit he crawled out of.

“Welcome,” she bit out, trying to remain calm and unfazed. “My name is Miss Van and I will be your teacher,” she told the children who poured into her classroom.

The Weasley and Malfoy hung back with another one of the parents and chatted while the children all greeted each other and explored the classroom.

“Nice to meet you,” the girl who held no Weasley resemblance said, holding out her hand for Kori to shake. “My name is Emily.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Emily,” Kori said, shaking her hand. “Where are your parents?” she asked. Surely it was just a coincidence that she walked in with the Weasley and Malfoy.

“They’re over there,” she pointed dead at the two. “Their names are Charlie and Draco. Charlie is my godfather and Draco is his husband,” she explained, there was a flicker of sadness that Kori almost missed in Emily’s eyes. But, as fast as it appeared, it was gone. “I already met one of my classmates,” she said, grabbing a boy by the arm and dragging him over to Kori. “Phillip, this is our teacher,” she said, excitedly.

Phillip shyly waved, allowing himself to be pulled by the girl as the two went off to look around the classroom and meet other students.

Kori then spoke with a few parents. Typical meet the teacher kind of things. Pretty much them telling her they were thankful for her teaching their kids, excited for their kids, looking forward to all that she had to teach them. The usual. Then, the Weasley walked up, alone. The Malfoy hung back with the other woman.

“Thank you for choosing my daughter for your class,” The Weasley, Charlie she reminded herself, said with a smile. 

“Charlie, right?” she asked, smiling as well as she could.

“Yes,” he replied, looking a bit perplexed.

“Emily told me,” she said. “You are her godfather?”

“Oh, yes, Emily’s living with my husband, Draco, and I now. He parents, well...” he trailed off.

“I understand,” she said, adding softly, “war is hard,” before leaving the man wide eyed and shocked, moving over to speak with another parent.

_ *** _

Charlie knew he heard her right. War is hard. That’s what she said. She knows. She knows who they are. She probably knows who Draco is. Charlie turned, seeing how carefree his husband was as he spoke with the woman, Nora. She was really sweet and was very friendly to both of them. Even mentioning future play dates with Emily and Phillip, if they were interested. Charlie didn’t want any of this to change. He still had to talk with Draco about...that. He didn’t want Emily to get caught up in all this, too. Then, Draco looked at him and his calm demeanor changed when he saw how tense Charlie was. Draco began walking towards him.

“What’s wrong?” Draco asked when he reached them.

“I’ll tell you tonight,” was all Charlie could say for now.

“Are you okay?” he asked, worried.

“I’m alright, babe,” he assured with a small smile, trying to calm himself.

“Erm,” they both heard. They looked down to see Phillip looking up at them. Emily nowhere to be seen. Charlie looked around and saw that she was already drawing pictures with some of the other kids.

“Hello, Phillip,” Draco said with a smile.

“Could Emily and I play together some time?” he asked, softly. 

“Of course,” Charlie said, “we’ll just have to make sure it is okay with your mum.”

Phillip smiled at that, a smile that they had only seen little hints of as Emily drug him around the classroom.

Charlie could almost forget everything, knowing his daughter was making friends. Charlie could almost forget everything, knowing his husband felt at ease with another person when he wasn’t there. Almost.

_ *** _

Charlie had given Nora their phone number, something he had made sure to learn when they had moved to the Fireseed, and she had given them hers. Phillip and Emily hugged each other bye and Emily excitedly told Charlie and Draco that she was going to sit next to Phillip in class. The three apparated home and Emily suddenly crashed after all the day’s excitement after her bath. She was out like a light and the two were thankful. She had school tomorrow for one. Two, they had some stuff to discuss. 

“Sit down,” Charlie said, pacing in front of their bed, trying to figure out how to start. He cast a silencing charm and just came out with it. “Emily’s teacher knows about the war,” he said. “Which means she probably is a witch and she probably knows who you are,” he ran his fingers through his hair and felt his lips curl in worry.

“What did she say?” Draco asked, looking panicked.

“Emily told her I’m her godfather and when she asked me about her parents, I just said Emily lives with us. Didn’t want to say they were dead out loud. She said she understood and war was hard. Dammit,” Charlie raised his voice, sitting on the bed. Draco crawled over and wrapped his arms around him.

“It doesn’t matter,” Draco said.

“What do you mean?” Charlie asked.

“It doesn’t matter as long as Emily likes the school and is learning. She already made a friend and she hasn’t even started her first day,” Draco told him. “We both knew going into this that people would treat me differently.”

“Differently doesn’t even begin to describe it, babe,” Charlie said.

“If Em’s teacher is a witch, we’ll deal with it,” Draco insisted. “I just want Emily to be happy.”

“What about you?” Charlie asked, looking at his husband.

“I am happy, Charlie,” he told him. “I’m happy here with you and Emily. Knowing people hate me, knowing people wish me dead, that doesn’t change anything. They always will. I’ll always just be a-a Deatheater that got off easy to them.”

“That’s not what you are,” Charlie insisted.

“It is,” Draco said with regret in his voice, “it was. I was a Deatheater, I _ am _ a Deatheater. It doesn’t matter if it wasn’t v-voluntary. It’s what I am.”

“Fine,” Charlie decided, “fine. You’re a Deatheater, but that’s not what makes you _ you.” _

“What makes me, Charlie Weasley?”

“Your caring nature and love of our daughter,” he began. “Your thoughtfulness. Your fiery wit and confidence,” he chuckled, “your temper.”

“You love it,” Draco laughed, nuzzling Charlie.

“I do,” Charlie agreed, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “I love you.”

Draco looked at Charlie. “You what?”

“I love you,” Charlie repeated, moving to grab Draco’s hand. “I love you,” he said, moving Draco’s hand over Charlie’s chest, over his quickly beating heart. “I love you, Draco.”

Draco trembled, feeling tears prickle in his eyes. “I love you, too,” he admitted, letting the tears fall. 

Charlie smiled and pulled Draco to him. “Please, let me hold you,” he asked.

“Of course,” Draco told him. “Say it again?” he then asked.

“I love you, Draco.”

Draco smiled and let the tears continue down his cheeks. This felt good, this felt safe. This felt right. Charlie felt right. “I love you, too, Charlie.”

_ *** _

They stayed that way for what felt like hours, Charlie holding Draco. Draco’s tears had stopped. They were happy tears, Charlie knew, and he let them seep into his shirt, not caring. He loves Draco and Draco loves him.

“Draco?” Charlie asked.

“Yeah, Charlie?” Draco pulled away.

“When your mum came, she talked to me about some things. Things that we need to discuss,” _ things I need to tell you, _ Charlie thought.

“What things?” Draco asked, hesitantly. “Did something happen?”

Charlie soothed Draco with a smile, letting his husband know that nothing had happened. “It’s about your family...heritage,” Charlie began.

Draco grabbed Charlie’s hand and gripped it as Charlie continued.

“You’re mother planned on telling you, but I wanted to do it,” he told him. “Your grandmother, she is, she was, a veela.”

“A...veela?” Draco asked. “I don’t understand. I’m a pureblood, that’s impossible,” he immediately disregarded.

Charlie threaded his fingers through Draco’s hair. “Your mother is half veela and you are a fourth veela,” he told Draco. “There was a chance that none of the bloodline abilities would manifest, but Narcissa believes that some may have already begun to show.”

Draco’s lips twitched as he listened to Charlie explain. He felt his heart contract with every word and his chest felt heavy. 

“She believes that your veela blood is partially to explain the sudden...interest that the Ministry has taken into you regarding marriage. Not that they are aware of your veela heritage, just that your appearance has suddenly sparked interest...physically,” he said, carefully planning out every word. “Your beautiful, babe, and even without your veela blood, you’d still be beautiful,” Charlie assured.

Draco’s eyes became watery again.

“This doesn’t change or affect the way I feel about you,” Charlie told him. “I love you for you, not because of your blood,” he assured.

“How can you know?” Draco asked, his voice breaking.

“I spoke to Fleur,” Charlie admitted. “She is a fourth veela, as well.”

Draco listened, willing the tears to not fall.

“I knew I loved before I spoke with your mother and I knew I still loved you when I spoke to Fleur. She told me that veela magic cannot create love, those feelings are of my own,” Charlie said. He took his hand again, placing it over his rapidly beating heart.

“It’s beating so fast,” Draco noticed.

“My heart beats for you,” Charlie said. “My love is for you, Draco, my husband. Not because of veela magic. I love _ you.” _

“How can you?” Draco whispered, feeling the tears fall. “How can you love me? I’m a monster.”

“No, no, no,” Charlie repeated over and over, “you’re not a monster.”

“I am, Charlie, I am,” Draco insisted.

“Do you know what I did? What I became?”

The war, Charlie realized. “That doesn’t matter,” he tried.

“It does,” Draco nearly screamed.

Charlie stayed silent, not wanting to upset his husband further. He pulled him close, holding the crying man as he listened.

“I took the mark. I housed murderers. I tortured out of fear of being tortured,” he admitted. “I have done horrible things. I nearly killed people.”

“You are not the only one with a guilty conscious,” Charlie said.

Draco looked up to see his husband. Watery blue eyes met watery brown.

“You may not have killed, but I have,” Charlie told him. Charlie shook as he held Draco. “For my family,” he continued. “I killed followers of the Dark Lord in order to save my family. In order to save Fred. I failed.”

“Charlie,” Draco whispered.

“I know I would do it all over again,” Charlie then told him. “I would try to save him as many times as I could. I would do the same for you.”

Draco pulled Charlie close into a tight hug. 

“You’re not a monster,” Charlie told him. “You had to do what you could to survive.”

“But, I’m a veela,” Draco muttered, still trying to come to terms with it.

“So what?” Charlie asked. “You were a veela yesterday. You were a veela when we first met, when we got married, when you held Emily when she was upset. So what?”

Draco had no words. So what?

“You haven’t changed,” Charlie told him. “You are still that person.”

“What if I do begin to change?” Draco asked.

“People change,” Charlie said. “It’s inevitable.”

“What if I become something you don’t love?”

Charlie scoffed through the tears. It sounded a bit forced, like he meant to do it. “That’ll never happen,” he told Draco. “I plan on seeing this marriage through till death do we part,” he told him, “or until you get tired of me.”

“Never,” Draco said, pushing Charlie onto his back and covering his chest with Draco’s own. Draco relaxed on top of him and nuzzled into his neck. “You are my husband and I will never tire of you.”

Charlie wrapped his arms around Draco and enjoyed the feeling of his weight on him. “We’re a mess,” he admitted.

“We are,” Draco agreed.

“I love you,” Charlie said, again.

“I’ll never tire of hearing that,” Draco told him. “I love you, too.”

“The veela thing,” Charlie began, “are you going to be okay?”

“I will be,” Draco told him. “I have you to help me.”

“It doesn’t change things,” Charlie then said. “It doesn’t have to.”

“I know,” Draco realized. It really didn’t change things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more OCs added. Phillip was named after my farmer in Stardew Valley. Kori was named after an old supervisor I once had. She was pretty nice and I got along with her, so giving Miss Van her name is doing her a disservice, really. Nothing to say for Nora, I pretty much pulled the name because it was the first one that I agreed with.
> 
> The veela thing, it doesn't matter. Not really. 
> 
> Writing this ewwie gooey lovey dovey dialogue was all thanks to the 90 Day Fiance I was bingeing at the time.
> 
> I don't have anyone read this for errors, so no beta here. Sorry about any mistakes I made or that my dialogue is not British enough (or at all, really). I'm a Texan.
> 
> Love you all!


	15. Chapter 15

Emily’s first day of school started off...early. Earlier than even Charlie was used to when he worked at all hours of the day on the reserve. The three walked with Emily to school and met Nora with Phillip at the school gate.

“Good morning,” she greeted, waving to them.

“Phillip,” Emily waved, way too energetic for the boy, it seemed, who sleepily waved back.

“Ready for your first day?” Draco asked Emily.

“Of course!”

“Alright, darling,” Charlie smiled. “Draco and I will pick you up when school is out.”

“What are you going to do, mummy?” Phillip asked, looking up at Nora. 

“I’m going to pick you up, too, of course,” she told her son.

“No, I mean now that I’m going to be at school,” he clarified. 

Nora bit her lip and crouched down next to her son. “We talked about this, sweetie. Mummy will be fine.”

Charlie and Draco didn’t comment, seeing the interaction being a private thing between the mother and her son.

“You and Phillip know where Miss Van’s class is, right?” Charlie asked Emily.

The two nodded and Emily took Phillip’s hand. 

“Good,” Nora said with a smile. “Now, don’t get lost and have a good day. Phillip, I can’t wait to hear all about it when I come pick you up.”

“Same goes for us, Em,” Draco said.

The two kids said their goodbyes, running off to start their first day of school.

“Nora,” Draco began, seeing the woman’s smile falter as she watched her son leave, “would you like to join Charlie and I for breakfast?”

“Of course,” Nora said, rubbing her eyes and regaining her smile.

“Lovely, I have just the place in mind,” he said. “Charlie, I was meaning to bring you. I found a small café in the village that is really good.”

“Well, let’s go,” Charlie said, taking Draco’s hand.

“Oh, I believe I know where you’re talking about,” Nora said, excitedly. “It’s run by a family?”

“Yes,” Draco replied with a smile.

“He speaks truthfully, it is very good,” Nora told Charlie.

*** 

_ The Tea Cup, _ the café Draco had mentioned, was fairly lively when they arrived. There were quite a bit of customers ordering to-go before heading off to work, as well as a few that sat down to eat their meals in.

“Good morning, Mrs. Nora,” The teenage girl, Ami, greeted. “Oh, I see you brought your husband, Draco,” she noticed with a smile. “Peter’s going to be happy to see you. He hasn’t stopped talking about how nice you were.” She then blushed a bit, but said nothing more.

“I see my husband is popular with the locals,” Charlie teased.

“Oh, shut it, you,” Draco replied, waving Charlie’s comment off and bringing the two to a booth with him. 

“How long have you two been married?” Nora asked once they sat down, waiting for their waiter.

“Not too long,” Charlie answered.

“About two months now,” Draco realized, looking to Charlie for confirmation.

“Wow, only been two months, yeah,” Charlie confirmed.

“Still in that honeymoon phase?” Nora giggled.

“We’ll never leave it,” Charlie said, pinching Draco’s cheek, causing the man to blush.

“It seems I married a man-child,” Draco commented.

“Aw, you love me,” Charlie pouted.

“I do,” Draco confirmed softly, his cheeks turning a slight pink.

“You two are so damn cute,” Nora said, watching the two.

“What about you, Nora?” Charlie asked.

“Phillip’s father and I tried to work things out, but we ended up growing apart,” she admitted. “Phillip hardly sees him, but he doesn’t ask to, anymore. His father never calls anymore. Never asks about Phillip. But, still sends in a damn check every month, not that I’m complaining about that. Really helps things,” she said. She then appeared to snap out of some trance she was in, “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m a bit of an over sharer,” she admitted.

“Hey, I asked,” Charlie told her. “Besides, that’s what friends are for.”

“To bitch about boys,” Draco commented with a bit of a smirk.

Nora laughed at that, “Yes, I suppose.”

Peter then came to the table, the teenage boy. “Draco, you’re back,” he greeted. “’Tis about time,” he then turned to Charlie. “You must be his husband,” he smiled, “and Mrs. Nora, too. Looks like a good day already.”

They made a bit of small talk, with Nora explaining that she used to babysit Peter and his sister when they were younger. The three ordered, and then Peter left to get their drinks.

“When did you come here?” Charlie asked.

“The morning of the day you brought Emi home,” Draco told him. “I was meaning to tell you about it when I got home and you were there, but, you know...” he trailed off.

“Emily has only recently been with us,” Charlie explained to Nora. “I’m her godfather.”

“Oh,” Nora said. “She seems to love you two,” she told them.

“I hope so,” Draco admitted.

“Things have been pretty smooth in all honesty,” Charlie said. “Transition was a bit strained, but she is a strong girl.”

“Perhaps we are lucky that she is so sociable,” Draco said.

“Sure did win my Phillip over,” Nora said. “He talked about her the entire way home last night.”

“Emi passed out pretty soon,” Draco said. “I think all the excitement got to her, but she did mention wanting to hang out with Phillip outside of school.”

“I’m sure he would love that,” Nora said with a smile. “He doesn’t have many friends,” she admitted.

“He seems like a sweet kid,” Charlie told her.

“Thank you.”

They continued their small talk as they continued to all get to know each other more after their food came out. Nora, it turns out, was a newly dubbed stay-at-home-mother after she lost her job due to a work related injury on her rib; she had a nasty fall one day and broke one. She told them Phillip helped as much as he could while she was healing and was terrified about starting school. Now that she was doing better, he felt less scared about leaving her alone during the day.

“I’ve been writing for an online column to stave off the boredom,” she told them with a chuckle. “It pays a bit, it does. Got work compensation for the injury and Phillip’s dad’s checks really help. Now that I’m pretty much all healed, I need to get back out there.”

“Perhaps you could help us out here, Mrs. Nora,” Peter suggested, knowing the story fairly well, apparently.

“I’m slow,” she told him. “I’d only hurt the business,” she said.

“We can train you,” Ami then said, walking up. The café had slowed down significantly after the initial morning rush had passed.

“You know mum loves you and would love to help you out,” Peter said.

Nora looked to Draco, who smiled. 

“Worth a shot,” Charlie told her.

“I’ll speak to your mother about it,” Nora decided, turning to eat some of her oatmeal that she ordered.

That seemed to satisfy the two teens, who then nodded and went back to their own work.

“I hate to be a burden on someone,” she said.

“They’re your friends,” Charlie told her. “They want to help you out. Besides, it seems like they could use a helping hand during the rush.”

“Once Phillip starts getting accustomed to going to school, I’ll consider it,” she decided.

Draco nodded, listening to her. He looked over to Charlie, feeling proud that his husband was trying to support their new parent friend. He placed his hand on Charlie’s knee and squeezed it, getting a smile from his husband in return.

The three finished their meal and Draco insisted on paying, telling Nora he was the one to ask her to join them, so he would take responsibility over the bill.

“Oh, I couldn’t,” Nora insisted.

“Nonsense,” Draco retorted, “I want to.”

Charlie just sat back and watched.

“Fine,” Nora finally caved, “but next time we go out, I’m getting the bill.”

“Alright,” Draco agreed.

“I better be off,” she then said, waving to them. “Thanks for having me. I’ll see you later at the school.”

“Of course,” Charlie waved, along with Draco.

“See you then,” she finished, taking her leave.

“You leaving?” Peter asked wide eyed, walking up to Draco.

“Yeah,” he told the teen, who really wasn’t much younger than Draco himself was. “We better get back home.”

“Nice to meet you, Charlie,” Peter said, shaking Charlie’s hand. “Come back again.”

“We will,” Draco told him, waving and then the two walked out of the café. 

“Someone’s got a crush,” Charlie sing-songed once they were far from the café on the walk back home.

“Nonsense,” Draco replied, refusing to believe it.

“Draco, dear, he was pink every time you looked at him.”

“Perhaps he was cold,” Draco said.

“Hardly,” Charlie retorted. “It was warm in there.”

“Perhaps he was just warm,” Draco then said.

“You are so oblivious,” Charlie said, putting his arm around Draco’s waist as they walked.

“Not like it matters,” Draco told him. “I only have eyes for you,” he told Charlie with a devilish smile, sending a wave of heat straight to Charlie’s gut.

“And I for you,” Charlie replied.

“You better,” Draco smirked, lightly smacking Charlie’s bum.

“Oh, you wanna play it that way?” Charlie asked, getting a laugh out of Draco. “You just wait till we get home.”

“Why wait?” Draco asked, grabbing his husband. He had already looked around and saw nobody. Suddenly they were in their bedroom.

“Apparated?” Charlie asked. “Nice.”

Draco didn’t respond, only pulled Charlie into a kiss. 

“So beautiful,” Charlie said, pulling away to sit onto the bed.

“You talk way too much,” Draco told him, pushing him down a bit forcefully and climbing on top of him.

“And you’re a bit impatient,” Charlie said before pulling Draco down for another kiss.

Their mouths moved together and Draco’s hands moved to Charlie’s button up shirt, playing with the bottom buttons. Draco moved his hands over Charlie’s before pushing them aside to unbutton the first few buttons from the bottom up. He then pulled away from the kiss and began admiring the tan skin that Charlie had exposed.

“Like what you see, dear?” Charlie asked, coyly.

“Want to see more,” Draco told him.

“Let me move more onto the bed so half of me isn’t hanging off,” Charlie requested, gently pushing Draco off of him so he could get more comfortable.

“Hmmm...” Draco hummed, allowing Charlie to move before pouncing back onto him.

“What has gotten into you, babe?” Charlie asked with a laugh as Draco covered him, straddling him with his legs as he began kissing up and down his neck.

“Just want you,” Draco said in between kisses.

Charlie pulled Draco away from him and pulled his face up to look at him. “You alright?” Charlie asked.

“Yeah,” he answered.

“Just came out of nowhere, it seems,” Charlie said. “Not that I don’t like it,” he quickly added. “Just want to make sure you really want to continue this because any more of what you’ve been doing and I don’t know if I can stop myself from wanting more.”

Draco hesitated for a moment.

“We should probably stop here,” Charlie said with a small smile, moving his fingers through Draco’s blond hair.

“Is that what you want?” Draco asked.

“I think you know what I want,” Charlie said. “The real question is what do you want?”

Draco lowered himself back onto Charlie’s chest and hugged his husband. 

“Draco?” Charlie asked, wrapping his arms around the man.

“I do want to move forward physically,” Draco said. “I’m just...scared.”

Charlie hugged Draco a bit harder. “We will do only what you are comfortable with doing,” he assured. “I don’t want you to be scared.”

“I’m sorry, Charlie,” Draco mumbled into Charlie’s chest.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

*** 

Charlie and Draco floo’d to the Burrow shortly after that, deciding that they both should be investing more of their time into learning domestic spells and cooking tips, as they were taking care of not only themselves and each other, but an eight year old girl and said girl’s potential friends. Specifically Phillip, who was bound to come by eventually.

“Mum,” Charlie greeted, hugging his mother once he walked out of the fireplace, Draco in tow.

“Draco, Charlie,” Molly greeted, hugging Draco as well, “what brings you two here?”

“Well, we were interested in learning some new...spells?” Charlie began.

“I have zero knowledge of domestic spells,” Draco admitted to her, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Oh, dear, there is nothing to be ashamed of,” Molly told them. “Charlie had been living like a cave man on that reserve before marrying you,” she said.

“Mum!” Charlie cried out in shock.

“It’s true,” she snapped back, “your father and I visited you multiple times and it appeared to be a frat house that you had crawled into, claiming you cleaned it and kept good care of it.”

“The Fireseed has remained fairly orderly,” Draco said. “As orderly as can be with an eight year old girl,” he then added.

“Emily seems like a child that isn’t very messy,” Molly commented, fondly.

“She’s pretty good about keeping her room clean,” Charlie said.

“Unlike you were at her age,” Molly then said, receiving a whine from Charlie and a giggle from Draco. “Lucky for you boys, I’m here to help.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley,” Draco replied.

“Thanks, mum,” Charlie said, a bit red around his cheeks.

*** 

Molly Weasley demonstrated many of her favorite spells to the boys, ones she felt she used the most when cleaning. A spell to wash the dishes and dry them, a spell to fold laundry, and a spell to pull weeds from the garden, which she doesn’t think will get much use from her son and son-in-law, honestly. Draco was a fast learner, which she made sure to praise him for, while Charlie struggled a bit more on learning the wand motions, as all her boys tended to struggle with initially. Before they even realized it, the time had come to pick up Emily.

“We best go,” Charlie said, hugging his mum and thanking her.

“Thank you,” Draco said with a smile as the two apparated near Emily’s school.

They walked towards the school gates and saw that there were quite a few parents already waiting when they got there, as well as a line of cars. 

“Do you know how to drive?” Draco asked, reaching for Charlie’s hand.

“I do,” Charlie said, swooping down and kissing Draco’s nose. “Why? Are you thinkin’ of getting a car?”

“No,” Draco admitted, “I was just curious, since Arthur loves muggle contraptions and your brother and Potter drove that monstrous vehicle our second year.”

Charlie laughed at the story, remembering how hot his mother was about it. “I don’t have my license or anything, but I know how. It would probably be useful if magic wasn’t so convenient.”

“Muggles have it hard,” Draco muttered, quietly as the children began walking out of the school, escorted by teachers.

“Charlie! Draco!” They heard Emily scream out as the little girl walked up to them and hugged them both with a huge smile plastered across her face. Phillip followed behind her, looking a bit tired. 

“Have a good day, you two?” Draco asked, giving Phillip a smile.

“It was awesome!” Emily told them. 

“And tiring,” Phillip added.

“They survived,” their teacher, Miss Van, added while walking up to them.

Draco felt Charlie’s hold on his hand tighten a bit.

“Miss Van, what are we going to do tomorrow?” Emily asked, not noticing the tension between the three adults.

“You’ll find out tomorrow, along with the rest of your classmates,” Miss Van told her, smiling.

“Oh, Phillip, there you are,” Nora cut in. She hesitated for a moment, feeling the coldness of the air surrounding her two new friends and her son’s new teacher. “How was your first day, sweetie?” she asked, going to her son and trying to ignore whatever was going on between the others.

“It was fine, mum,” he told her.

“We better get going, darling,” Charlie said to Emily.

“Alright,” she said, going over to Phillip and hugging him good bye. “Bye, Phillip,” she said.

“Bye, Emily,” he replied, softly, waving as the three left.

Miss Van watched them leave. Her cold eyes never leaving Draco till they were out of sight.

“Is everything okay?” Nora asked, hesitantly. 

“Of course,” Miss Van replied, putting on her smile and kneeling next to Phillip. “Are you going to tell your mummy about all the fun you had today?” she asked, getting a small grin out of the boy, who nodded, yes.

“Do you have stories for mummy?” Nora asked, smiling at her son.

“We had a long day, didn’t we,” Miss Van said with another smile. “I bet you’re just like me and ready for a nap,” she added.

“No,” Phillip deadpanned. “I’m ready to go home now,” he then turned to his mother, grabbing her hand and leading her away, even though he was tired.

*** 

“Charlie, Draco, let me tell you about my classmates,” Emily said as she was holding the hands of both men.

“I can’t wait to hear,” Charlie said as they walked back to the Fireseed.

“There’s a kid that is so tall! Like, woah! He can probably climb trees no problem. I’m so jealous,” she said. “I want to climb trees.”

“You can,” Draco told her, receiving a big grin in return.

“Maybe not in your dresses, though, darling,” Charlie added.

“And we don’t want you to fall, so one of us needs to be there.”

“I’m going to be the best climber,” she told them, determination painting her face. 

“How about we try flying?” Draco asked. “We can try out that broom your grandmother brought.”

“Oh, yeah,” she said, forgetting all things climbing and tree related. “I wanna play quidditch at Hogwarts,” she told them.

“You will have to practice for that,” Charlie said.

“Lucky for you, I’m a former seeker,” Draco said with a smile.

“So was I,” Charlie added. “I was also team captain for a spell,” he told his little girl.

“What?” Draco asked.

“Really?!” Emily also asked, although much more lively.

“I never told you?” Charlie asked, sending his husband a sly smile. “I suppose I’ll just have to show you what it takes to be the Gryffindor team captain.”

“You’re on,” Draco countered. “I’ve flown with the best of ‘em.”

“Harry did mention you gave him a bit of a challenge during your games against each other,” Charlie began. “Although, he also mentioned being very stressed and preoccupied with,” he took a quick glance down to Emily, who was listening intently, “out of school stuff,” he finished with the biggest shit eating grin Draco had received from him thus far.

“I’ll make you eat those words, love,” Draco taunted with a glare.

“I’ll make sure to skip a warm up snack.”

“Do I get a snack?” Emily asked, pulling the two out of their thoughts.

“Yes, darling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are catching up to the chapter I am currently working on...very slowly, I might add. A wave of writer's block has hit me after finishing up a separate fic. Hopefully it passes soon.
> 
> Regardless, I look forward to posting what I have already, as well as hearing what you, the reader's, thoughts on it is. Comments really do make my day and I love interacting with you all. Thank you for giving me the time of day, it really means a lot.
> 
> Oh, and incoming Weasley next chapter...


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut near the end.

Ron Weasley sat in his mother’s kitchen, reading the Daily Prophet and feeling sorry for himself, as he had done for the past few days and even days before he had realized. Weeks, even, if he really thought about it. Far before his brother’s engagement announcement. It was when he realized that his arguments with his wife were no longer just arguments.

Ron Weasley closed the page of the paper in his hands and looked back to the cover of the issue and came face to face with Hermione. Her beautiful eyes looked over him, a smile painting her face as the flashing of lights hit her lovely skin. A tear prickled at his eye as her smile reached her eyes, something he had not seen directed at him in months. 

The headline read _ ‘Hermione Granger: New Right Hand To Upcoming Minister.’ _

She changed her name.

It was over, their marriage was over. There was no chance of going back.

And then the fire blazed to life, announcing the arrival of someone using the floo.

“Mum, I’m just here for some of my old quidditch things,” the voice of Charlie called out.

Ron wiped away his tears and hid the paper under some files he had planned on looking over, but never actually touched.

“Oh, Ron, you’re here,” Charlie said, walking over and giving him a quick hug. “What wrong, little brother?” he asked, sitting next to Ron at the kitchen table.

Ron couldn’t meet Charlie’s eyes and looked down. “Am I that obvious?” he asked, feeling ill.

Charlie pat his back, but said nothing.

Ron pulled out the paper and shoved it in Charlie’s hands before slouching and laying his head down onto the table. “It’s over,” he told Charlie.

“Hermione Granger,” Charlie muttered, reading the article. “Does mum know?”

“Of course not,” Ron snapped.

Charlie bit his lip and folded the paper, placing it onto the table. “Pack up your quidditch stuff and come play with Draco and I,” he told Ron.

“What are you on about?” Ron asked, a bit flabbergasted. There was a bit of horror and disgust on his face.

“I thought you two made up,” Charlie countered, “besides, we’re trying to teach Emily. Draco and I are both seekers. A keeper would be great.”

“You and I both know you’re just as good a keeper as you are a seeker,” Ron said, pouting. “I remember you helping F-Fred and George, too,” he said. The name felt so foreign in his mouth, but he just ignored the thudding in his heart as the painful memory surfaced. 

“Fine, at least help me take down Draco,” Charlie moaned, puffing out his lip. “If he beats me, his ego will only inflate until it’s bigger than your stomach.”

“Oi,” Ron took the paper and smacked Charlie’s shoulder. 

“What? You think I didn’t notice the crumbs in front of you, little brother?” Charlie asked, pointing to the brown bits of what remained of the cookies Molly had baked earlier that day.

“I’ll think about it,” Ron decided, standing up and going up the stairs. 

“See you at the Fireseed,” Charlie yelled after with a smile. 

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Ron shouted from above.

Charlie snickered a bit and followed his brother up in order to get to his room.

*** 

Draco and Emily floo’d to the Malfoy estate.

“Welcome home, young master,” greeted a house elf. 

“Thank you,” Draco replied. He had been sulking for so long in this house, but that was in the past. He was a new person; a man with a husband who loves him and with a daughter whom he loves. “This is Emily,” Draco introduced. “She is my daughter.”

Emily looked up to Draco and smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Mistress Emily,” the house elf bowed. “May I get you any refreshments?” 

“Stay here, Emi, I just need to get some things and then we can go back home.”

Emily nodded, watching Draco leave. He called her his daughter and the thought made her terribly happy.

*** 

Ron laid on his bed and look up at the ceiling. His broom and keeper padding lay next to him, along with his old jersey. Part of him wanted to go play again with his brother, even if it included Draco. The two had agreed to start over and try to become more civil with each other. Ron knew Draco was trying. He could tell. He heard him trying to connect with his family. Ron also knew he should try harder than he was, which was really little, to be honest. Then there was another part of him. A part that wished to lay as he was. Forever.

Ron sat up. He refused to let that part of himself win. He pushed those wants and protests down, getting out of bed. He went down stairs and grabbed the floo powder. “Fireseed,” he said, throwing the powder down. He became engulfed in the green flames.

*** 

Emily, Draco, and Charlie were outside, enjoying the fresh air of the countryside.

“Let me show you how to summon the broom to you,” Charlie said to Emily, who watched intensely. 

They showed her the basics, like how to straddle the broom, where to put her feet, etc.

“Can you show me the balls?” Emily asked, eyeing the chest. She had a limited amount of knowledge of the sport from her daddy, who would watch a game on the television once in a blue moon.

“Sure,” Draco said, moving to the chest.

With so many balls and ways to fly, Emily tried her best to understand. There were also a large amount of rules for her to follow, which made her head a bit heavy feeling. 

“Maybe we should show her,” Charlie told Draco, noticing the little girl was getting confused.

“You’re just looking for an excuse to show off,” Draco replied, although he did agree. Emily would probably react better to a visual demonstration.

The two mounted their brooms and began showing Emily how to hold the broom, how to position their feet, and the like. 

“How do you catch the little golden ball?” she asked, looking at the tiny snitch. 

“That, darling, takes a lot of skill and practice,” Charlie winked at her.

“Something we both have,” Draco added, looking at Charlie with a smirk.

“I’ll take that as a challenge, love,” Charlie said with a playful smile.

“I’ll watch,” Emily said, sitting on the ground to get comfortable.

“Release the ball,” Draco told Emily, who did as asked.

The golden snitch came to life, opening up its wings and flying from the palm of Emily’s hand and up into the air. 

“You’re about to witness the power of the Slytherin seeker,” Draco taunted, flying off in the direction of the snitch.

Charlie followed, matching Draco’s speed. “I look forward to a victory’s kiss after I win,” Charlie told the blond, who huffed in response and gathered speed, flying passed his husband. Charlie chuckled a bit.

The two chased after the snitch, who managed to elude them at every attempt to grab it. Charlie, not one to be beat or to let others win, managed to surpass Draco and grabbed the snitch, ending their game.

“I demand a rematch,” Draco instantly said upon reaching the ground. 

Emily clapped and nodded, yes.

“I’ll accept your rematch as soon as I get my kiss,” Charlie reasoned.

Draco huffed again, but leaned in and gave Charlie a peck on the cheek.

Charlie looked like a kicked puppy upon receiving the peck. “A real kiss?” he asked.

“You never specified,” Draco smirked. 

“Fine,” Charlie recovered, pulling Draco close. “Next time I win, I’d like some alone time with you. Emily has to go to bed early for school. Plenty of time for us to have a bit of fun,” he whispered into Draco’s ear.

Draco turned red at the ideas popping into his head at Charlie’s proposition. “If I win?” he managed to ask.

“Tell me what happens if you win, Draco,” Charlie asked.

“When do you want me to release the snitch?” Emily asked, too busy admiring the craftsmanship of the golden ball to see what her two dads were doing.

“Release it now,” Draco told her, jumping onto his broom, leaving Charlie still grounded as he flew towards the snitch.

“Hey, wait for me,” Charlie cried out, jumping onto his broom. Neither of the two even noticed when Ron walked up to Emily, sitting himself down next to her.

“They fightin’ over the snitch?” he asked, startling the girl.

“Yes,” she said. She was a bit unfamiliar with her...uncle? With Charlie’s brother. She had met him when she met her grandparents, but he had not talked to her. It also seemed that he and Draco had a fight. She didn’t know how to feel about him.

“What’s the score?”

“Charlie caught the first one,” she told him.

“Knew it,” was all Ron said, a tiny smile playing at his lips.

Up in the air, Draco had just successfully grabbed the snitch. He felt triumph surge through his body as he victoriously held the snitch in his hand. He looked over to his husband, seeing the man smile at him before flying up close and kissing Draco’s lips. 

“Good job, babe,” Charlie told him. “I look forward to your conditions,” he added with a smirk before descending to the ground.

Draco smiled, trying to decide what he wanted from his victory.

“I see you came,” Charlie greeted Ron, “but, where is your gear?”

“Guess I’ll just have to bring it next time,” Ron told him, standing up. “I better get going,” he then told them. “It’s getting late for quidditch. Let me know when you guys are going to play again.”

“We will,” Draco said as they watched Ron enter their cottage and presumably floo back to the Burrow.

Emily yawned and looked back to Charlie and Draco. “I’m hungry,” she said.

Draco and Charlie both felt the smiles splaying across their lips as Charlie picked Emily up and Draco began levitating their things to bring back inside.

*** 

Charlie made them a quick meal of mashed potatoes, pan fried chicken, and peas for dinner, while Draco made Emily her bath. After Emily bathed and the three ate, they put Emily to bed.

“I’m going to shower real quick,” Draco told Charlie.

“I’ll take the other shower,” Charlie replied. 

Draco nodded and went into their room and began laying out the clothes he wished to wear for bed. He then went into their bathroom and turned on the shower. The warm water hit his tired arms, shoulders, and back as he relaxed under its relaxing touch. He let out a sigh of relief as he continued to enjoy the warmth. He tilted his head back, letting the water cover his hair as he ran his fingers through the wet locks. Draco closed his eyes and let the memories of today show themselves. He loved being able to take Emily to her first day of school, as well as showing her how to ride a broom, although they would need to continue practicing that. He then thought of Charlie’s victory condition and wanting to spend alone time together. He also thought of earlier that day when he had tried to seduce Charlie, unsure of what he really wanted from it. His cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, as well as from the water’s temperature. Draco let out another sigh. He’d have to talk with Charlie about the physical aspects of their relationship. Looking down his body, he laid his eyes upon his flaccid genitalia. He had masturbated, of course, when he was learning about his sexuality and his personal fancies. Just never as a married man, he realized. He reached down and encased his hand around his penis, feeling it twitch at the contact. Draco thought of that night Charlie had kissed him. The same night he felt Charlie’s erection brush into his own. The feeling had sent electricity though his body as the pleasure broke through him with a moan of enjoyment. Draco felt his penis become erect in his hand from the memory and he began to pull and tug at it experimentally. The feeling brought another sigh from his lips as the pleasure began to build, causing a pool of warmth to manifest in his gut. He thought of Charlie and how he wished Charlie would be the one to be doing this to him, not his own hand. He thought about how Charlie’s hand would feel on him and of Charlie’s lips on his own. Draco’s hand sped up in its movements as Draco’s thoughts continued of Charlie’s lips on his neck, Charlie’s other hand on his naked ass, moving to his nipple, Charlie’s wet tongue licking his nipples till they became hard, Charlie’s own penis, hard, and touching his own. The thoughts and sensation of his hand was enough to bring Draco to completion. He opened his eyes in time to see the last of the white substance disappear down the drain. He felt more relaxed, no longer feeling the tension from the past few days, and he began going through his usual showering routine of shampoo, then conditioner, then body and face. 

Draco turned off the water, grabbed a towel, and dried himself off, wrapping it then around his waist. He opened the door and saw Charlie lounging on the bed.

“Everything alright?” the man asked with a wickedly handsome smile.

That smile told Draco everything he needed. 

“Want anything to help release you of some of that tension or are you all good?” Charlie then asked, same smile on his face.

Draco gulped and clenched the towel in his hand, pulling it tighter around his lower body.

“If you think I’m wicked good on a broom, you should see how I am straddling other things,” he winked.

It was so cheesy that Draco couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his lips as he sat onto their bed. “You had me going there,” Draco said. “I thought you were serious.”

“I was,” Charlie pouted, “I am.”

Draco was a little taken aback. “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course,” Charlie told him sitting up and moving next to Draco.

“This is all new to me,” he said, “all of it. Not just the married part. I’ve never kissed anyone before our wedding,” he admitted. “I’ve never dated. It was too risky.”

Charlie’s eyes widened he listened to his husband’s confession.

“That’s why I wanted to move slowly. It’s because I’m not experienced in any of this.”

Charlie leaned down to rest his head in Draco’s lap, not saying a word.

Draco felt nervous. He thought Charlie would say something, say anything. “Say something, please,” he practically begged.

Charlie looked up at him. “I suppose,” he began, “I suppose I knew that this all was your firsts in many ways. I’m your first kiss and that to me,” he smiled, “that’s a great honor.”

Draco felt...confused? Flattered? Relief? “I don’t understand,” he decided.

“I want to be the only person for you,” Charlie admitted, “your first and last.”

“I’m...inexperienced,” Draco said. 

“That’s okay,” Charlie said, sitting up to kiss him before lying his head back down.

“Is it?” Draco asked. “I may not be, well, good,” he then said.

Charlie sat up and moved behind Draco, wrapping his arms around him as his legs lay on either side. “That doesn’t matter,” Charlie told him. “I want you, I love you, and that is all I care about.” 

“You are committing yourself to a veela,” Draco said, as if that made a difference.

“So what?” Charlie asked. “You are committing yourself to a Weasley, your sworn enemy,” he joked, kissing Draco’s neck.

“It doesn’t bother you?” Draco asked.

All of Draco’s insecurities where unfolding themselves for Charlie. Charlie knew he felt serious about Draco. Charlie hoped Draco felt serious about him and he believed that his blond husband did. “You think that anything could change how I feel about you?” Charlie asked him.

Draco turned to look at his husband. “I just don’t see the good in me that you claim,” he admitted.

It nearly broke Charlie’s heart. “I’ll just have to show you,” he said, hugging Draco tighter.

Draco felt tears fall as he let Charlie’s strong arms hold him.

“I love you, Draco,” Charlie whispered into his ear.

“I love you, too.”

They stayed that way till after Draco’s tears dried up. Charlie rubbed Draco’s back and ran his fingers softly down Draco’s arms.

“Feels nice,” Draco told him.

“You said you wanted to move slower,” Charlie said, “do you still feel that way?” he asked, a bit shyly.

“Maybe not as slow,” Draco admitted, a bit flushed.

Charlie nodded. “What time do you work tomorrow?”

“I leave a bit later than usual,” he said.

“Understood,” Charlie purred, kissing Draco’s hand and moving up to his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” Draco asked.

“I want to show you just how beautiful I think you are,” Charlie said, lying Draco down onto the bed, “and how much I want you.” Charlie then began kissing Draco’s cheeks softly, lingering a bit longer than he normally would. His hands began pushing up Draco’s shirt. “Tell me when to stop,” he told the blond and Draco nodded. Charlie then moved down and began kissing Draco’s exposed stomach, pushing the shirt up higher till the little nubs of his nipples were exposed. Charlie moved up to them and began licking and sucking on them, much to Draco’s pleasure, if his whines and whimpers were anything to go on. “You okay?” Charlie asked, pulling off the sweet little buds.

Draco whined at the loss of contact and the cold air hitting the nipple Charlie had just left.

“What was that?” Charlie asked, teasingly.

“Yes,” Draco nearly hissed, moving his hand to Charlie’s head to persuade him to return to what he was doing.

Charlie got the message loud and clear and began working at the hardened nubs with his tongue and lips. Draco’s erection quickly came to life, rubbing against Charlie’s stomach as the man continued to give attention to his husband’s chest. Charlie left the nipple he was attending and moved down, pulling Draco’s shirt down with him, watching his husband’s reaction as he kissed the clothed tip of Draco’s penis.

“Charlie,” Draco breathed out, red faced and a pleading look in his eyes.

“Yes, my dear?” Charlie asked, kissing the tip, again.

Draco bit his lip and pushed his hips up, rubbing his erection against Charlie’s lips.

“Is there something you want?” Charlie asked, coyly. 

Draco nodded, feverishly. “Please,” he begged.

“Tell me what you want,” Charlie said, licking his lips.

“Please, more,” he begged. “I want more.”

Charlie devilishly smiled as he moved his hands to Draco’s waist band and began pulling his pajama bottoms down, as well as his boxers, exposing his husband’s manhood in all its glory. Charlie was acquainted with the art form that is the blowjob. He knew he wasn’t the most skilled with the act, but he was no beginner. He began with the shaft, holding it in one hand and moving his tongue from the base to the top, wetting the penis on all sides before fully engulfing it into the heat of his mouth.

Draco gasped at the sudden sheathing before moaning out from the act. 

Charlie couldn’t stop the smile, pleased with his husband’s reaction. He pushed his tongue to the side of Draco’s penis in his mouth before moving it in and out of his mouth, letting his tongue add some friction to the act as he continued to move up and down, enjoying the wiggling and noises Draco made. Charlie continued to suck his dick until Draco’s hands moved to pull him off.

“You alright?” Charlie asked quickly, worried he may have done too much.

Draco nodded, panting as he did so. “Just,” he panted as he continued, “going to cum,” he explained.

Charlie smiled at the words. “You could have done it in my mouth,” he told his mess of a husband. “I wouldn’t mind.”

Draco became impossibly redder at the thought and nodded, watching as Charlie returned to sucking his dick. The feeling became overwhelming as Charlie sucked and licked, pleasuring Draco into a pile of goo. Draco moaned out Charlie’s name, praising him and telling him how he loved it, how he loved him. Then, Draco’s balls seized and he felt his orgasm pierced through him and the white liquid filled his husband’s mouth, who stayed still, trying to keep himself from moving to spill the semen. 

Charlie removed Draco’s flaccid penis from his mouth and walked to the bathroom, spitting the cum into the toilet and flushing it before brushing his teeth and returning to bed, finding his husband still panting and thoroughly pleasured. “You look so beautiful,” Charlie told him, moving to kiss Draco’s lips.

“Hmmmm,” Draco hummed into the kiss, pulling away to give Charlie a smile. “You’re a devil with that mouth,” he said.

“I aim to please,” Charlie replied.

“You did,” Draco assured. “Now, lay down so I can cuddle you,” he said.

Charlie nodded, letting his erection stay as it was, knowing he probably wouldn’t do anything about it till morning and by that time it’d be just morning wood. “It was alright?” Charlie asked.

Draco nodded.

“Not too much?”

“I liked it,” Draco told him, kissing his cheek and then moving his hand down to rest over Charlie’s erection.

“What are you doing?” Charlie asked, kissing Draco.

“Thinking about what to do with this,” he replied, giving Charlie a kiss, as well. He ran his hands over the cloth keeping him from Charlie’s skin and then pushed his hand passed the waist band and into Charlie’s sleep pants.

“Is there something you want?” Charlie asked, breaking the kiss.

“Want your pants off,” Draco told him. Charlie was happy to oblige as he removed Draco’s hand in order to take off his pants and boxers.

“I’ve created a monster,” Charlie said as Draco’s hand moved to his dick.

“Oh, shut up,” Draco joked, moving his hands over Charlie’s hard, large penis. It was bigger than Draco’s, not that Draco minded or anything. He gripped the length in his hand, lightly, and ribbed his thumb over the tip till precum leaked out.

Charlie hummed in pleasure as Draco continued.

“You like that?” Draco asked.

“Feels good,” Charlie told him.

Draco felt a sense of pride knowing he was making his husband feel good. He then began stroking Charlie’s dick, as if it was his own. 

“Let me kiss you,” Charlie begged.

Draco moved closer and let Charlie capture his lips as he continued to pump his erection. Charlie pushed his tongue passed Draco’s lips, claiming his mouth as Draco continued to pleasure him. Charlie then rolled over, hovering over Draco’s body as he continued to deepen the kiss with Draco’s hand still wrapped around him.

“Want more,” Charlie said in between kisses.

“Like what?” Draco asked.

Charlie didn’t answer for a moment, instead he continued to tongue fuck Draco’s mouth and bite his lip. He then reached down to grab Draco’s newly erect cock and rub it against his own. 

“Mmmm, Char,” Draco moaned, enjoying the feeling.

“I could make you feel good,” Charlie moaned into Draco’s mouth, “I could make you cum.” He then moved his hand passed Draco’s erection and rubbed the pad of his finger across his anus, causing Draco to flinch. Charlie pulled his finger away and stopped. “Sorry,” he immediately said, realizing he’d gone too far. “I’m so sorry,” he rolled off of Draco.

“It’s okay,” Draco told him, feeling shock lessen as his body was able to regain control over itself. He took some deep breaths, trying to calm down, as well as recover from the heavy petting. “It’s okay,” he repeated.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” Charlie continued.

Draco forced himself to sit up and move towards Charlie, “Hey, I’m fine,” he told him. “Don’t beat yourself up. I enjoyed it. It’s alright.”

Charlie turned to him and nodded.

“Let’s go to sleep,” Draco told him. “We still have to get up early to take Emi to school.”

“Your right,” Charlie sighed, kissing his husband and laying next to him. He pulled him close and let out a sigh of relief. “I love you,” Charlie told him.

“I love you, too,” Draco said, not even caring that the two were still without pants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe this is the first piece of sexual content I have ever written. I wrote it quite a while ago, as I've been sitting on this fic for a long time; it is still unfinished. I also believe that I was watching a lot of 90 Day Fiance at the time. Quality trash tv right there, I love it.
> 
> Might be a little TMI, but when I get overly emotional with my partner while we are in bed, I suddenly get really into the idea of having sex. Maybe it is the release of stress that makes it so suddenly interesting, but that is a bit of a mindset I have when it comes to writing these pieces. Just a little heads up, I suppose, as there will be more in the future.
> 
> This is also the point where Ron begins appearing more frequently, so look forward to that. I'm not sure if that counts as a spoiler, but there it is.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving if you are American or celebrate that wherever you are. The end of 2019 is upon us.


	17. Chapter 17

Charlie woke up early that morning feeling pretty good, actually. He looked over to see his husband still sleeping and looking absolutely lovely, as he always did. He looked over to his alarm, which was set to wake him up, and only him, silently and through pulses of magic. He hated to wake up Draco with some horrible noise muggle alarms were equipped with that had begun bleeding into magical alarms due to the convenience of assembling it. He gave Draco a quick peck on the cheek, not rousing the man, and rolled out of bed, grabbing his wand as he did so. He looked down, realizing he was still pant less and slipped his discarded garments from last night back on before leaving the bedroom to wake up Emily.

Her bedroom was dark when he entered it, so he pulled out his wand, glad he had grabbed it, and lit her lamp by her bed, as well as a set of scented candles that she had wanted when they went out one evening.

Emily, darling,” Charlie said in an attempt to rouse her, “it’s time to wake up.”

She rolled over and kept her eyes closed, telling Charlie she was too tired to even attempt to get up.

He snickered and picked her up and out of bed, taking her to the living room where he unceremoniously dropped her onto the couch, waking her up with a startled squeak.

“Charlie,” she whined, leaning back against the couch.

“You have school, darling,” he tried to reason.

She pouted and looked around the room. “Where’s Draco?” she asked.

“He’s still sleeping,” he told her.

She grew a devilish look upon her face and got off the couch. “I’m going to wake him, she declared, quickly walking towards their door.

Charlie remembered that Draco was also pant less and pulled out his wand, “Carpe Retractum,” Charlie cast, whipping a purple string towards Emily, wrapping it around her waist and pulling her back. “No, dear, we’ll let him sleep,” he told her. “Now, let’s go make breakfast.”

“Aw,” she pouted, deciding not to argue.

Charlie let out a breath of relief and then moved to the kitchen, where he planned on making omelets.

*** 

Draco stretched and rolled over in an attempt to cuddle closer to his husband. Upon finding the other side of the bed empty, he opened his eyes and found himself alone. It was a little disappointing to wake up alone. Especially after such a life changing night as the one he had just shared with Charlie had been. They had just consummated their marriage, well, kind of. He wanted to wake up with his husband next to him. He wanted to be assured that what they shared was as special to Charlie as it was to him. Draco sighed, got out of bed, and put his clothes back on. Emily had school today. Of course Charlie would be up before he woke. They had duties to their daughter. The thought of a sleepy Emily made Draco smile. He pushed his feelings of disappointment down in favor of greeting his little girl for her second day of school, as well as see his husband after their night of passion.

He opened the door and walked into the living room. There was nobody there, but he did see the dining room table occupied through the archway. 

“Morning, babe,” Charlie called out with a big smile.

The two were eating breakfast. Draco wondered how long he’d been asleep while they were up.

“Let me get your omelet,” Charlie said, moving to the kitchen and bringing out a hot plate. There was a spell in place to keep the food’s heat, he noticed. That gave him no indication how long they’d been up. Emily was already dressed, as well.

“How long have you been up?” Draco asked, receiving a kiss on the cheek from Charlie, who then led him to a seat next to him, as well as with his breakfast.

“About thirty minutes,” Charlie told him. “Not too long and I wanted you to get as much sleep as you could,” he winked. “Thought you’d be tired.”

Draco reddened a bit at the reminder of last night. It was not the time or place to bring it up. Emily was still in the room. “Thank you,” Draco said, digging in to his meal.

“Anything for you, dear,” Charlie told him.

“Charlie?” Emily asked.

“Yes?”

“When do I get to ride the bus?” she asked.

“Well, probably soon,” he answered. “Why?”

“I want to ride it,” she said. “Kids talked about it yesterday. I want to ride with my friends.”

“Does Phillip ride the bus?” Draco asked.

“I think so,” she beamed. “There are other friends I made,” she added.

“You’ll have to introduce us,” Draco smiled.

Her face fell a little, then. “I don’t think they like Phillip,” she admitted. “They don’t talk to him and ignore him when he is around.”

Draco looked to Charlie, seeking help. 

“Some people ignore others as a way to belittle them,” his husband told her. “Do you know what that means?”

She shook her head, no.

“To make them feel small,” Charlie continued explaining to her, “like they’re not as important.”

“I think Phillip is important,” Emily said.

“I know you do, darling.”

“I don’t know if I want to be friends with the girls that are mean to Phillip,” Emily said.

“You don’t have to be friends with them,” Draco then said.

Emily smiled. “Phillip is my friend and he is important to me,” she declared. “We read a book at my old school about a girl that was stuck in a tower and then a prince saved her. I think Phillip is stuck in a tower, sometimes,” she said.

“How so?” Draco asked.

“He doesn’t talk a lot and he’s shy. He talks to me, but that’s all,” she told them.

“You’re like his prince,” Charlie smiled.

She nodded. “Phillip needs me. Instead of being in a tower, he’s without friends,” she told them. “But, not anymore.”

“That’s right, Emi,” Draco told her, kissing the top of her head. She was extremely perceptive.

“Draco and I better get ready and then we can all go,” Charlie said, waving his wand to send the plates to the sink.

“Dear, would you take care of that?” he asked, “I’m still rubbish at those spells.”

“Sure thing, love,” Draco said, casting a cleaning spell on the dishes and sink.

“Cool,” Emily marveled. “When will I learn those things?” she asked.

“When you’re older,” Draco told her as he walked to he and Charlie’s room. When he closed the door behind him, Charlie was on him in an instant with kisses along his neck. “What are you doing?” Draco asked. “We need to get ready.”

“Just wanna kiss you,” Charlie told him. “We have time.”

“No,” Draco told him, pushing him back. “Not when I woke up alone,” he crossed his arms, turning away from him to dig through his clothes for a suitable outfit.

“I’m sorry, babe,” Charlie said. “I just wanted you to sleep while I got Emily ready.”

Draco stopped what he was doing and turned to Charlie. “I know what you were doing, but it just hurts,” he admitted. “Last night was...well, it was really important to me. I wanted to wake up next to you,” he said.

Charlie understood. He remembered how he felt his first time. It was not like how it was with Draco. There was not love. There was only lust and Charlie’s broken heart after the fact. Charlie cradled Draco’s hands in his own and brought them up for a kiss. “Would it be too presumptuous of me to ask for forgiveness and to make it up to you next time?” He hesitated. “If you would allow me a next time.”

“You bastard,” Draco muttered, not meaning it. “Of course there’ll be a next time,” he told Charlie, closing in for a kiss. “I forgive you.”

Charlie smiled and dropped Draco’s hands in favor of hugging him.

“Let’s get dressed before Emily loses her patience with us,” Draco said.

*** 

_ -a week later- _

*** 

Today is the day. Draco walked into the book shop. He told Bes and Tanya good morning like he always did and clocked in. Today was the day Sydney returned to work. Sydney, the manager of _ Page Turner _ and a witch. She was practically running the place instead of Floyd, the owner. Today she would meet Draco, a known Deatheater and one of the most hated members of the wizarding community. He really hoped she just happened to not recognize him.

“Oh, Draco,” Bes calls out, “Sydney is in the non-fiction section. You should go introduce yourself.”

Draco nodded nervously.

The non-fiction section is located at the back of the store. Draco makes his way, hoping he doesn’t lose his job. Finally, he makes it. In front of him in a black haired woman crouched down with her back to him.

“Draco,” she says, back still turned to him.

“Yes, that is me,” he gulps.

She turns to look at him. Her eyes are a dark brown, almost black. “I know who you are,” she tells him, standing to meet his height. 

He nods. “I thought you may,” he tells her, shying away.

“You’re not what I expected,” she admitted. 

“Not like the monster wizards and witches tell their kids about before bed?” he asked, turning away from her, looking at the book shelves.

“More like I forgot how young you are,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You still act like a teenager.”

“Are you going to fire me?” Draco asked.

“Why should I?” she asked, looking unimpressed by the infamous Deatheater. “You do your job, you get along with the other staff, and I know you’re not desperate for money, so I don’t have to worry about you robbing the place.”She sighed. “I have no reason to fire you besides my own prejudices. If we ever get robbed or something, you’re an asset to finding out who did it. Magic may as well be cheating in the muggle world.”

“I like my job,” Draco told her. “I like my co-workers. Thank you.”

“Just keep doing your job and don’t get ever further on my bad side,” she told him.

“I will,” he told her, quickly walking back to the front so he can begin his shift.

*** 

“Hey, Draco,” Tanya called out after work, “join me for drinks?”

“What the hell,” Draco decided, scrawling a note quickly and enchanting it while nobody was looking to send it to Charlie. The distance from the shop to their cottage should be okay for the enchantment, he thought. He was lucky that Tanya was far enough away to not see anything. Sydney, however, watched him with a scowl. “Where are we going?” he asked Tanya, ignoring Sydney’s stare.

“Just a place down the street,” she told him, leading him to a pub that was very close, actually. “I usually go here for lunch and after work,” she told him.

“Ah, I see,” Draco muttered, walking into the pub. It was a bit crowded, but some of the patrons appeared to be getting ready to leave.

“Oi, Tanya,” someone called out. “See you got yourself a bloke, bring ‘em over for some drinks!”

“That’s Rodger,” she told Draco. “He’s a bit of a rough guy, but he’s alright.”

“I can tell he’s rough,” Draco muttered. Rodger stood easily six foot and a half tall and at least weighted as much as Charlie and Draco combined. A big boy, he was. Scars covered his exposed arms, as well as an array of dark tattoos. His nose was crooked, as if it had been broken a few too many times. 

“Tanya, Tanya,” Rodger chanted as the two walked closer to the man. “’Avn’t seen you in too long,” he told her.

“Been busy,” she smiled, patting Draco on the back.

“You keepin’ her all tied up, mate?” Rodger asked, eyeing Draco with a grin on his face.

Draco blushed at the implications, but shook his head vehemently no. 

“He’s not mine,” Tanya told him, grabbing Draco’s hand and showing off the ring Charlie had slipped onto his finger at their wedding ceremony.

“Your wife’s got some tastes,” Rodger told Draco, getting a closer look at the ring.

“Yes, well,” he then cut off, taking back his hand and shying away from the stares. “Enough about me, let’s get drinks.”

“Yeah!” Tanya cheered, moving over to the bar with Draco.

“So, who are you, then?” Rodger asked, following.

“I’m a friend of Tanya’s from work,” Draco told him.

“His name’s Draco,” Tanya said.

“Why didn’t you say so,” Rodger, chuckled. “Any friend of Tanya’s is a friend of mine.”

Draco forced a smile as he received his drink, spilling a bit as he was forcefully pat on the back by the hulking Rodger.

*** 

Ron walked to his office after a meeting with the two aurors representing MACUSA over a potential American wizard that had managed to flee to Britain via portkey. He rounded a corner, very close to where his office was located, only to find that there was a new, yet familiar, face in the Ministry today. Viktor Krum stood in front of Ron’s ex-wife.

“I look forward to it,” Ron heard Viktor say.

“I need to get back to work now, Viktor,” Hermione told the man before turning to return to her documents. 

Neither saw Ron as he watched the end of their encounter. His fists clenched and his knuckles became white. He steadied himself and took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly before taking a step forward. Then another. Another. Soon, he was opening the door of his office. As it closed, he felt the hot tears fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are getting closer to where I have stopped and it is making me anxious. I've been so busy lately and haven't been able to stop and write. Regardless, I will try to find the time to work on a chapter or two. I know this chapter is small, so my bad. I've been trying to keep updates fairly regular. I don't want to fall behind and forget or something. 
> 
> Side note, what are bookmarks on this site? What are they for? 
> 
> Anyways, waking up alone after sex is just the worst. I hope that it doesn't seem too dramatic or unrealistic. I've also been worried about Emily's character. I just don't remember what it was like being a kid sometimes and I don't see any really to know how they act and how they speak. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, though. Thank you to all that are sticking with this fic. It means a lot :)


	18. Chapter 18

Harry and Hermione met up for lunch, both knowing that they needed to address the hippogriff in the room. They met up at a muggle restaurant, knowing that not many wizards and witches were carrying muggle money around.

“A burger with water, please,” Harry ordered, handing the menu to the waitress.

“I’ll take the daily soup with a side salad and water,” Hermione requested. “Balsamic dressing, please.”

“Of course, dears,” the waitress said. “I’ll have your drinks out shortly.”

“How is he?” Hermione asked once the woman walked out of ear shot.

“He’s...” Harry trailed off. He wasn’t quite sure, honestly. “I’ve been so busy with the investigation with the Americans and with the wedding that I honestly don’t know.”

“You’ve had your hands full,” Hermione agreed, looking down at her hands.

“I saw Viktor at the Ministry,” Harry then said.

“He is in the country for a break,” she told him. “He wanted to catch up.”

“Hermione,” Harry then said.

“He mentioned the divorce,” she added, cutting him off. “He said he wanted to make sure I was okay.”

“Do you think that he is being truthful?”

“Of course,” she shot back. “Viktor and I are friends and have been since our fourth year. You know that.”

Harry felt guilty. It was well known within the friend group that Viktor and Hermione had remained pen pals after the events of their fourth year. Despite the man’s obvious affection for Hermione, she had insisted that she only wished to remain friends and nothing more. “I just don’t want anyone taking advantage of your feelings.”

“He won’t,” she told him. “Even if he did have romantic intentions, I’m not ready for anything like that.” The ‘yet’ hung in the air between them like a knife.

“Ron will be none too happy,” Harry muttered.

“Ron is no longer my husband,” she then grumbled. “Who I see is no longer his business.”

“Not even as a friend?” Harry asked.

“...”

“Hermione?”

“I never imagined it would be this difficult,” she admitted, tearing up.

Harry reached across the table and took her hand in his. “You’re not alone,” he told her. “You’re still family.”

She nodded, dabbing her eyes with her napkin.

“Promise me something,” Harry pleaded.

Hermione looked him in the eye.

“Don’t bottle this up,” he asked. “You’re one of my best friends. You’re my family. Please, talk to someone. I just want you happy.”

Hermione nodded before looking over, seeing that the waitress had their waters and was coming to their table. “I promise,” she told Harry.

*** 

Ron knew Harry and Hermione went to lunch. He knew it. He saw them leave together. He couldn’t take it anymore. He took a few days off after the divorce was filed. He moved in with his parents. That house was full of memories for him. Mostly happy ones. Unfortunately, some of those happy ones were now tainted by the impending divorce. He felt her in the walls, in the rooms, and in the air. Her presence was a part of The Burrow, as was Harry’s. He needed to get away from it all.

“Mr. Weasley, can I help you with something?” the woman at the desk greeted.

“I’d like to take a temporary leave of absence,” he informed her. “I need the proper paperwork.”

“Of course, Mr. Weasley,” she replied and then hesitated. “May I suggest the extended leave application? I apologize if I am over stepping my boundaries, but you need a holiday from this place.”

He looked down to her name plate and accepted the paper. “Thank you, Hannah.”

“Of course, Mr. Weasley. Please take care of yourself.”

*** 

“You’re making the right decision, dear,” Mrs. Weasley told her son.

“Thanks, mum,” Ron replied. “But, I don’t think I can stay here right now.”

“A holiday is what you deserve.”

“Perhaps.”

*** 

America. It seemed...alright. Ron enjoyed speaking with the American aurors and English was the only language he knew. A holiday amongst muggles may do him some good. He wanted to get away from his job, his old life, his family. Just him. Just Ron. If only the damn country wasn’t so bloody big.

“Colorado,” Ron mumbled, looking through the travel book he received from an agency. Too cold, he thought. There were so many pictures of snow. Colorado was a no. California? Very sunny. But, he wasn’t much for the beach. The knocked off Hawaii and Florida, too. Maybe some place rural. Kansas? What would he do? Texas. Texas was a big state, right? Has lots to do, probably. Ron looked through the book and found the big state. Maybe he would tour the state. Would be a good amount of time to kill. Maybe he’d enjoy it. He had a few weeks off, anyway. The Ministry had been very understanding, even extending the time without him asking. Texas it is. Ron smiled to himself and then contacted the travel agency to let them know he had made a decision.

*** 

“Ron is going where?” Harry asked while staring wide eyed at the American. He had come in to tell Harry about how excited he was to know that the Brit was going to explore America.

“Texas,” the auror told him, Jackie was his name.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Harry gasped in disbelief. 

Jackie scoffed and crossed his arms. “Red head has had it rough, right?”

Harry didn’t reply.

“I say he deserves a break from everything he knows. Change of scenery may be what he needs right now.”

“He could have at least told his best friend,” Harry muttered. 

“What would you say if he had?”

Harry thought for a moment. “I’d ask him to reconsider such a big trip,” Harry admitted, “but, I’d encourage time off.”

The American gave a small and sad smile. “You’re a good friend to him, Harry, I do believe that. Ron needs to discover what he wants for himself, though. Think about it. He’s about to be a divorced man and all of his friends are friends with his ex. Maybe he doesn’t want to talk to anyone about it. Maybe he doesn’t want to make you choose.”

Jackie, despite Harry wishing he wasn’t, was right. Hermione was his best friend, too. “Would it really be choosing?”

Jackie gave Harry a _ look _ that told him exactly what he needed to know. “Could you truly stay unbiased with this? Would you be able to listen to two sides of this and be able to stay neutral?”

Harry sighed in defeat.

“That’s what I thought.”

“I just wish he told me how much he was hurting...”

Jackie nodded. “I understand. It is hard to watch someone you love suffer in silence.”

“What do I do?” Harry asked.

“That is not something I can tell you, Harry.”

“Well, what would you do?” Harry asked, frustrated.

“I’d support his decision and ask for a souvenir,” Jackie said with a smirk.

*** 

George read his mother’s letter and then leaned back in his desk chair. A smile spread across his face. Ol’ Ronnie was going to the wild, wild, west. George then grabbed a piece of paper and began writing.

***

“Look at this,” Ron huffed while handing Hannah a piece of paper.

_ Ron, I want a cowboy hat. – G. _

“He sends me a letter for that.”

Hannah giggled and handed the piece back.

“Well, Harry also mentioned a souvenir, so I guess I better start making a list. You want anythin’?”

“No, I’m fine,” Hannah told him with a smile. “I just want to see the pictures when you return.”

Ron blushed a bit and returned the smile, nodding at her request. “I can do that.”

*** 

“Charlie,” Draco called out. He had received the mail and got a letter from Molly. “You’re mum sent a letter,” he said.

Charlie, with Emily on his shoulders, trotted to Draco and accepted the mail with a kiss in return. “Thank you.”

“What is it?” Emily asked, staring at the letter with curiosity.

“A letter to Charlie from your grandmother,” Draco told her, taking her from off Charlie’s shoulders so his husband could read the letter.

“What’s it say?” Emily continued.

“I have to read it first, darling,” Charlie told her, opening the letter and reading. He read over the words and stayed silent.

“Is everything alright?” Draco then asked, worried. He placed his hand onto the lower back of his husband and waited for an answer.

“Ron is going to America,” he said.

*** 

He chose to fly on a plane, something he had never done before. Over all, it was horrible. Uncomfortable seats, long travel times, poor food, crying babies, and the air was so stale. Muggles were truly suffering in their flying machines. Magic was so much simpler. Although, he could understand some of what other magical folk saw in using muggle technology. There was something exciting about it all. He had remembered learning that even Newt Scamander enjoyed muggle transportation during his trips, international and domestic.

When he finally landed in the large state, he met up with the travel agency representative that was waiting for him to arrive. He had a whole two weeks for his trip and then an additional week and a half to return and relax before returning to work. Perhaps he would search for a new flat and move out of his parent’s home. The Burrow would always be his childhood home, but he didn’t want to stay there forever.

“Mr. Weasley?” the man asked, holding a sign with Ron’s first and last name on it.

“Yep, that’s me,” he greeted, reaching out and shaking the man’s hand.

“The rest of the group for this trip have already arrived,” the man told him. “You can meet them all at the hotel. You will be traveling with them for the entirety of the trip.”

“Alright,” Ron nodded, preparing himself for the first day of what would turn out to be the longest two weeks since he was in school studying for his O.W.L.s.

*** 

George locked the door to the store after sending everyone else home. His flat was not in a wizard community, so he tended to apparate straight home at night. He sometimes felt the need to keep his distance. Walking in the mornings was easy, though. His flat was smaller than his previous one was and the rent was better, but still higher than it probably should have been. Not that he couldn’t afford it, the shop was doing better than he anticipated and he could live comfortably like this.

Once he popped into his flat as quick as magic allowed, he went to his kitchen and began preparing something simple for dinner. He wasn’t much of a cook, but he wasn’t completely hopeless. He wondered how Charlie was faring. He doubted Draco knew anything about the culinary arts, being one of those rich kids who had servants for everything, but he wasn’t sure. Charlie claimed to be a good cook, cooking for himself on the reserve for all those years, but George has never tried it. 

He had heard that he was an uncle now; Emily, the little girl that Charlie had adopted. His mum and dad were over the moon and sent him letters about hearing that they were grandparents. He laughed when reading the first one. His mum was so mad to find out from someone other than Charlie and to be a Ministry official to boot? He was surprised Draco wasn’t a widow. They took her to the Burrow, but George had yet to meet her. Apparently Ron essentially gave her the cold shoulder during the first visit, George had heard. Hopefully his trip to America mellowed him out after the news of the divorce. Real shame, it was. Hermione is a wonderful person, but George always suspected that it may end this way. His brother and ex sister-in-law were just two different where it counted. He hoped that their friendship would be able to be mended over time.

Perhaps he would invite Charlie, Draco, and Emily out one night so he could properly meet his niece.

*** 

Percy sighed, looking over the remaining paperwork at his desk. It was busier today than usual, although he suspected that business would slow down soon. At least, he hoped it did. He had not been getting much sleep lately with work and all. He looked out the window of his office to see Viktor Krum had made his return to The Ministry, probably to see Hermione again. The large man smiled at something Percy was unable to see, till Hermione walked near. She looked so tiny next to him. Percy sighed again, knowing that this blossoming relationship between his former sister-in-law and Viktor Krum would be the source of even less sleeping hours once they officially became a couple. Ron was in America for now, thank Merlin, but he would return eventually.

Percy stood up from his desk. He had already completed what he needed to today. He deserved a break and planned on going home earlier than usual. He was far ahead of any deadlines he had and felt no reason to worry about what he had left. Perhaps he should also take a holiday, he thought to himself, or even go get himself a good book to read to help him relax.

He left The Ministry building and began walking down the street, lost in his thoughts. It wasn’t until he stopped, realizing he wasn’t quite sure where he was, did he look up. _ Page Turner _ the sign read. A book shop, just as he wanted, so he went inside.

“Welcome in,” a woman greeted with a kind smile. Her name tag told Percy her name was Bes. “Is there anything I can help you look for?”

“I’m in the market for a new book,” he told her with a small smile.

“You’ve come to the right place,” she giggled. “Look around and see if there is anything that peaks your interest. If you need any help finding a genre, I can help you with that or one of our other employees can.”

“Thank you,” Percy replied, beginning his search for a book that captured his interests. This was a muggle shop and he did have muggle currency, so he would be fine. He often found muggle fiction entertaining, perhaps a result of his dad’s obsession with the people and their cultures.

“Sydney, Draco,” Bes called out, grabbing Percy’s attention, “we have a customer.”

Two people walked out; a woman, who must be Sydney, and his...brother-in-law.

“Percy,” Draco realized. 

“You’re a Weasley, right?” the woman, Sydney, asked.

“Yes ma’am,” Percy answered, looking behind him, seeing that Bes was returning to whatever work she had been doing earlier. 

“She’s a witch,” Draco clarified softly, for only the three to hear.

“I suspected,” Percy then said. “It’s nice to meet you,” he then turned to Draco. “What are you doing here?”

“I work here,” Draco told him, simply.

“I thought Charlie received all of your assets after the marriage, why would you need a job?”

“I didn’t want to be home alone all day,” Draco told him, staring him in the eye, as if challenging him to say anything against it.

“Emily is in school, I assume?”

“Of course,” Draco said. “We made sure to get her enrolled.”

“Charlie had always wanted kids,” Percy then said. “He mentioned it quite a bit when he was younger.”

Sydney had left the two, realizing this was to be a private discussion. 

“He is a good father to her,” Draco told Percy, “he loves her and treats her like she is his own.”

“What about you?” Percy then asked him. “Is a Malfoy able to raise a child?”

Draco’s eyes narrowed for a second before he put on a neutral face. “Is there anything I can help you with while you are looking around our store?”

“Yes, actually, I’m looking for your biography section,” Percy then said, watching Draco carefully, knowing he had crossed a line. That wouldn’t do anything to change the fact that he intended on having this discussion with Draco. “I’m looking for a book that had just recently come out.”

“Right this way, sir,” Draco then escorted him to the right section. 

Percy looked over the new releases, not seeing the book he had been searching for, not that he expected to find it at a muggle shop of any sort. “Not here,” Percy then said.

“We may not have received it in, yet,” Draco told him, “or it has sold out.”

“This book probably wouldn’t be carried in a muggle shop, anyway,” Percy told him. “Perhaps you would find it of great interest, too, Draco.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s title is _ The Snake Prince. _ It’s about you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short...I know. Work has been hectic with holiday season. Hopefully things will slow down soon.
> 
> Ron's trip to America was a lot of fun to write, so I am excited that it is finally starting to take form. This is the beginning, people! The beginning of the weird part that I wrote when I suddenly started liking the Ron in my story, since I initially wrote him as a bit jerk. Also, expect more George. He is pretty fun to write, too.
> 
> (I was watching a lot of 90 Day Fiance and Glee while writing a majority of this fic).
> 
> Thank you for reading.


	19. Chapter 19

Hermione and Viktor went out to dinner and she had a little too much to drink, she ended up staying at his hotel since he was too worried to leave her alone that night. It wasn’t because she had drank that he didn’t want to leave her alone, it was because she had broken down outside of the restaurant, crying into his arms as she told him about how terrible she felt for ending her marriage. Her mascara was smeared and her lipstick had become uneven on her lips. It had begun to rain in typical London fashion, causing Viktor to apparate them to his hotel room, insisting she take the bed and that he would sleep on the couch provided. 

He had been the perfect gentleman to her and a perfect friend. She wasn’t blind to his feelings and she had already confronted him about it, telling him that she was not ready to jump into another relationship so soon after her divorce. He understood, telling her that he wanted to help her through this time as her friend and would hold back his feelings for her.

It wasn’t until sometime in the middle of the night that Hermione had woken him from the couch and asked him to sleep in the bed with her. Viktor chuckled at the request, tussling her wild hair and telling her he would on the condition of separating themselves with the extra pillows.

“Viktor, we’re not children,” Hermione had told him. “Besides,” she felt her cheeks heat up, but the room was too dark for him to see, “I want to be held.”

Viktor got up and turned on the lamp next to the bed. “Hermione, I want to take care of you, but you are not ready for a relationship.”

“You can’t hold me as a friend?” she countered.

“I cannot, because I will want more,” he admitted honestly. 

She nodded, understanding. “Could you hug me as a friend?” she then asked.

He hesitated, but nodded yes, pulling her into his arms.

“Thank you,” she mumbled into his chest.

He cradled the back of her head and massaged his fingers into her scalp. It was something Ron never did. Her ex husband would often rub her lower back, near her bum, or rest his hand on her hips when they hugged. It was never so gentle as the giant that was Viktor Krum had been. It made her want more of that gentle comfort, but that was the alcohol talking, pushing her into something she was not ready for.

“You are a good person, Hermione,” Viktor told her, “and anyone would be lucky to have you by their side.”

Hermione snorted in amusement, but then felt her face crumble into something ugly as she began to cry. She clutched onto the man to steady herself as she cried into his chest.

“It is okay,” he told her softly, continuing to massage her scalp. “You cry, I am here.”

She nuzzled closer.

He then scooped her up into his arms, surprising her. “I will lay you down,” he then said, “and tuck you in.” He placed her back onto the bed, pulling the covers over her and drying her tears with a tissue. He turned and grabbed the blanket he was using on the couch, laying on top of the blankets that were on the bed, and covering himself. “Is okay?” he asked her.

She nodded yes.

He smiled and propped himself up to face her. “You are tired,” he then said.

She nodded again.

“You should sleep. Do you work tomorrow?”

She shook her head no.

“Very good, I will take you out to enjoy the city with me,” he told her, reaching across her to turn out the light. “Tomorrow will be good, Hermione.”

“Thank you, Viktor,” she whispered.

“Anything for my friend,” he said.

*** 

The reserve had been very busy for the past few days, resulting in Charlie coming home late, while Draco had to pick up Emily alone. They had yet to get the whole bus thing situated and were not about to be one of those parents that let their 8 year old daughter walk home alone in a new place where she could get lost and hurt. The Fireseed and the school were still a good distance away from each other.

Charlie had not been able to talk to his husband about what had been bothering him. He had noticed that something had been on Draco’s mind for the past few days, but with work, it had been hard to find a time where Emily had not been around or he had gotten home to find Draco was already asleep.

A lot had been on his mind, with one brother going off to America and another wanting to spend some time together to meet Emily. Plus there was the fact that he had been receiving some pressure from both Bill and Fleur to come see them with the little girl and Draco. Percy had not talked to him in a few weeks not that it was exactly a surprise, as they did not communicate regularly, but the man had said nothing of being an uncle, despite him being fully aware. He had also not been in touch with Ginny, although Harry had reached out to congratulate him on adopting Emily, as well as sending his condolences for losing a close friend. Of course, his parents and Draco’s mother had also been communicating with him quite regularly regarding Emily’s free time and when best for her to come see them or for them to come to her.

Today was going to be another day where he returned late, it seemed. There were two dragons that got injured during a fight. The Chinese Fireballs had been friendly with each other up until now, so the fight between the two was very shocking, especially since they were both very docile and gentle with trainers and other dragons. 

“Oh, Charlie,” one of his coworkers called out. It was Jordan. “How is your husband?”

“He’s fine, why?” Charlie asked.

“Oh, well, it’s just been kind of weird that you’ve not said anything about him or that you’ve even been here with the book and all.”

“Book?” Charlie asked. “What book?”

_ “The Snake Prince,” _ Jordan replied, looking confused by Charlie’s own confusion. “You know, that book that Rita Skeeter wrote. The one about your husband. Which I didn’t make the connection, honestly,” he said, almost embarrassed. “But, just know that all of us here totally support you and Draco. We see tha’ he’s changed.”

Charlie nearly dropped what he was carrying. “I need to go,” he said.

“Of course,” Jordan told him, taking the buckets of meat that he had in his hands. “I’ll let the boss man know.”

“Thanks, Jordan,” Charlie told the man, rushing off to the main office.

*** 

It was Draco’s day off. He hadn’t told Charlie what Percy had said, yet. He wanted to investigate this book himself, but he couldn’t bring himself to go to Diagon Ally alone. He was too scared of what he may encounter, more so, he was scared of what he would read in between those bound pages of the book. So there he sat on their couch, sipping tea from a mug and trying to find out how would be the best way to go about this. He could always disguise himself, wear a robe and keep the hood up. It was a bit too warm for that, but surely nobody would say anything about it.

His mother hasn’t wrote to him about the book, nor had he heard anything from the other Weasleys about it. His only allies from the family seemed to be the other veela woman and her husband, Bill and Fleur, as well as the twin. George, Draco remembered. Granger also seemed to be on his side, at least a little, but she was going through her own mess, if the papers were to be believed. Photos of her and Viktor Krum had surfaced. The two seemed to be reconnecting. The youngest Weasley male had run off to find himself in America, or something, which was a bit of a relief to Draco, honestly. Despite them trying to start over, there was still strain between them. It didn’t help that Ron was essentially depressed due to his divorce. Not that Draco could blame him. It was public knowledge. Nothing between the Boy-Who-Lived and his friends was a secret from the papers. Made Draco feel only a tiny bit better about his situation, as the Prophet had not come knocking on his door about his marriage. Then again, he hadn’t been out enough to be recognized in so long, it may be a secret still, besides The Ministry and a handful of others knowing. As far as he knew, the location of The Fireseed was a secret.

He felt lonely here, too. Charlie had been coming home late, much to he and Emily’s distaste, but he knew the man cared a lot about the dragons and that the dragons needed him. He kept telling himself that. Charlie wouldn’t stop working even if Draco asked, not that he ever would, but he did wish that his husband was around more. Emily was missing him, too, and they both were getting a bit of cabin fever in the evenings. Draco wanted to go out with his family and Emily did, too. 

When the fireplace roared to life, to caught Draco off guard, causing him to jump. Charlie stepped out, soot covered and dirty from work, rushing over to his husband.

“Charlie, what are you doing home?” Draco asked, hugging the man. It wasn’t near the time he had been coming home.

“I heard about the book,” Charlie told him, clutching onto him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Draco was silent, hugging his husband as he gathered his thoughts. “Get cleaned up and we can talk,” he eventually said. “Emily is still at school.”

Charlie chewed on the bottom of his lip and nodded, going to their room and cleaning up. When he returned, Draco was back on the couch. Charlie sat next to him, pulling him over to hold him. “Talk to me,” he nearly begged.

“Your brother came to the shop,” Draco began. “I don’t think he knew I worked there. Said he was looking for a book. He then told me about Skeeter’s newest piece. It’s about me, Charlie,” Draco trembled. “That horrible woman wrote about me, she wrote about _ us,” _ he hissed. Anger caused him to tremble, Charlie realized, as well as sadness. “That woman, she must have seen us and followed us,” he continued. “What if she came into our home?” he asked, moving to look Charlie in the eye. “What if she saw Emily? What if she wrote about her?”

Charlie didn’t know what to say, so he pulled Draco back in to hold him close to his chest. “I will find out,” he told him. “I’ll go ask her myself.”

“I want to read what she said,” Draco told him.

“Why?” Charlie asked.

“I want to know what all she had said about me.”

“Lies, probably,” Charlie told him. “She gives out a lot of baseless information in her books. We can’t believe everything she says.”

“Charlie, if she’s spreading things around about me, I want to know exactly what,” Draco told his husband. 

Charlie nodded. “I’ll get the book,” he said.

“No,” Draco then clentched his fist, “I want to be the one to do it.”

Charlie nodded. “I’ll talk to mum, we can go get it and she can pick up Emily. They’d both love that, anyway.”

Draco nodded, letting his husband get up and floo to the Burrow.

*** 

Diagon Alley was as he last remembered. A little less crowded now that school was back on in Hogwarts, but all the stores were still the same.

“Is it alright if we run by my brother’s first?” Charlie asked. “He has been wanting to meet up with us. It’d be a bit rude if we came and didn’t go see him.”

“Of course,” Draco nodded. “Could I hold your hand?”

“Babe, you don’t have to ask,” Charlie smirked, taking the blond’s hand and leading him to Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. 

Draco felt himself smile at the contact, feeling the anger and nervousness dissipate quite a bit from his husband’s comfort, support, and mere presence. “Could we sit by the tree, too?” he asked.

Charlie nodded, “I would love that.”

They entered George’s shop, seeing that it was a bit of a slow hour for the store, not that it was surprising, as Diagon Ally itself was slow today, and saw the remaining twin speaking to an employee. He turned once he heard the bell chime and smiled, waving over to his brother and brother-in-law.

Draco smirked a little, noticing that Charlie and George shared the same goofy looking smile that he had come to love.

“What brings you here, brother?” George asked, smiling at Draco, “And your stunning spouse?”

Charlie scoffed, wrapping an arm around Draco’s shoulders and pulling him close. “Can’t we come visit my dear little brother?”

Draco was happy to see that George appeared to be in a cheerful mood today, opposed to how Draco had most recently seen the man. “We’re here to do a little shopping,” Draco told George.

“Ah, so has my brother finally decided to give some of my products a try?” George asked.

“Not quite,” Charlie told him. “We actually came in to say hello before we go over to another shop.”

“You wound me,” George dramatically sighed.

“Perhaps we can pick Emily up something here,” Draco suggested. “A gift from her dear uncle George,” he added.

“Draco, have I even told you that you’re my favorite brother-in-law?” George asked him.

“Don’t let your financer hear that,” Charlie snorted, glad that George had warmed up to his husband.

“Harry rarely comes,” George told him. “Only really see him at the Burrow.”

“You still live upstairs?” Charlie then asked.

“No,” George admitted. “Too close, you know?”

Charlie understood, nodding. George and Fred had both lived upstairs before the war.

“Show me what would be good for an 8 year old,” Draco then said, returning the mood to a less dreary one. 

“Of course,” George said, hooking his arm around Draco’s. “I’ll show you all the things she will love and Charlie will hate to admit he loves.”

Charlie pouted when his brother took his husband from him, but instead began looking around on his own.

After some time, George had convinced Draco that Emily would love an aviatomobile, bubble machine, and a package of canary creams. Draco allowed it because they all seemed relatively harmless. 

“I’ll make sure to send them to your place through the owl post,” he told him after he checked out, gracious for the brother-in-law discount, as George had called it. “A real discount and not the mark up Charlie would receive for being my brother,” he chuckled.

“Hey,” Charlie said, walking up to the counter once realizing that Draco was checking out without him, “Rude.”

“They all get it,” George assured.

“As long as I’m not the only one,” Charlie sighed. “You should come over some time,” he then told his brother. Emily is going to be at mum’s tonight, but any other time should be good.

“I’ll make some room in my schedule and give you a date,” George told him, “so, you better not be at the reserve.”

“I know,” Charlie rolled his eyes with a smile.

“I’ll make sure to take that day off, too,” Draco added.

“You’re working?” George asked.

“To stave off boredom while Charlie works and Emily is at school,” Draco told him. Seriously, couldn’t somebody keep a job because they wanted it, not needed it?

“I get you,” George then said. “I could just retire and let the shop run itself, really.”

“As if you ever could,” Charlie then said.

“Excatamundo, brother,” George agreed.

“We better get going, though,” Charlie then said.

“It was good to see you,” Draco then told George.

George gave Draco a smile, a bit of a sad one. “It’s good to see you, too, both of you.”

Charlie hugged George. “See you.”

*** 

Flourish and Blotts was busier than the two expected, but with the release of Rita Skeeter’s new controversial book, it seemed that witches and wizards were more than willing to go out and get it. In fact, there were only a few copies left, from what Draco could tell.

There where whispers when they walked in, staring and glares, too. Draco held his head up high, walking over to the display, hand in hand with his husband, and picked up one of the copies of _ The Snake Prince _ before walking over to the cashier to purchase it.

“W-will that be all, sir?” the young boy that looked straight out of Hogwarts asked.

“Yes,” Draco said, handing over the correct amount to pay.

Charlie was right next to him, proud of Draco for not succumbing to their stares. This was the Draco he had heard of from his siblings, the proud and strong Slytherin. Refusing to bow from the pressure of distaste and anger of the people around him.

“Come along, darling,” Draco then proudly said, leading Charlie out of the shop with a confident stride. He did not run out of the shop as he may have done before, no he made sure to take his time, letting everyone see that he was there with his husband, Charlie Weasley, war hero. 

“They couldn’t keep their eyes off of you,” Charlie said once they had gotten far enough from the shop. They had begun making their way to the tree. 

“They were just jealous that you’re mine,” Draco smirked. His eyes shone brighter, turning from his usual grey to a bright green, and his skin seemed to be fairer than before. Pores non-existent, it seemed, and hair giving a healthy shine.

“Darling, are you feeling alright?” Charlie asked.

“I’m feeling great, actually,” Draco told him, looking to his husband in confusion. The shine in his eyes seemed to dull to a more normal look, along with the rest of his features.

_ He’s part veela, _ Charlie remembered. 

“Charlie?” Draco asked, pulling Charlie back from his thoughts.

“Nothing, darling, let’s go,” he then took the lead and they arrived at the tree. Charlie felt some of his tension ease out once he saw the roots breaking through the cobbled stone street.

“Charlie, you’re worrying me,” Draco said softly.

Charlie pulled him into a hug, letting out a breath. “I love you,” he told the blond.

Draco returned the hug. “I love you, too,” he said.

“You’re heritage was coming through,” Charlie told him, unable how else to say it. “I was worried for a second that someone else would notice.”

“Oh,” was all Draco said, sagging a bit.

“It’s okay,” Charlie then said, “I don’t think anyone noticed.”

“They couldn’t do anything even if they saw it,” Draco then said. “I’m safe with you, Charlie.”

Charlie smiled at that, rubbing his nose against Draco’s neck. “You’re right.”

“Emily should be at the Burrow by now,” Draco then said.

“She should be,” Charlie agreed.

“I’m feeling a bit...”

Charlie suddenly understood what Draco was getting at. He felt it in his gut. There was a lingering arousal from Draco’s veela magic pouring out earlier. 

Draco hummed against Charlie, not bothering to finish his sentence, nuzzling against his husband.

“We can’t here,” Charlie said, feeling a bit out of breath, suddenly.

“Take me home,” Draco purred into Charlie’s ear.

Charlie pulled back from their hug to claim Draco’s lips, moving him backwards, minding the exposed roots and uneven ground, till he backed him against a wall, ignoring his own protests. There was nobody around this area, as usual. Nobody could see them.

“Mmm, Charlie,” Draco hummed moving his head to expose his neck for his husband to kiss, nip, and suck.

“Want you, Draco,” Charlie panted, arousal beginning to press against Draco’s thigh. Charlie inserted his knee in between Draco’s legs, spreading them apart and pinning Draco against the wall. “Let me make you feel good, love,” his husband whispered into the blond’s ear.

Draco couldn’t speak, only nodded his head, wanting Charlie to continue touching him and kissing him. His eyes shone that bright green once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm. Both stories I have been updating carry similar situations in the chapters posted today. Welp. 
> 
> Catching up to the finished chapters...I will try to write more soon. Hopefully I will finish this story soon, as well. I really enjoy writing it and sharing it, I just fail to find the time.
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crap, I don't remember what color I said Charlie's eyes were in an earlier chapter. If it's wrong, whoops. Sorry if it bothers you...
> 
> And...smut.

Charlie forced himself to remove himself from pressing Draco against the wall, realizing what he was about to do. “We can’t do this here,” he said once again.

“Charlie,” Draco panted, cheeks flushed with his eyes half lidded and green. “Please, darling,” he sounded as if he were on the verge of begging. 

Charlie hummed in delight at the state his husband was in, grabbing onto him once again and apparating them home. They were in their room, so the doors remained locked. Charlie had enough of Draco’s clothes blocking him from his husband’s skin, so he grabbed the book that was still in Draco’s hand and tossed it onto the floor, caring not where it landed. He then began unbuttoning his shirt, while Draco panted, trying to catch his breath, moving his hand down to cup Charlie through his pants.

“Fuck,” Charlie ripped open the shirt, not giving a damn when buttons flew off it, and pushed his husband down and onto the bed, covering him with his own body. “You’re so damn sexy,” Charlie told Draco.

Draco gasped when Charlie began sucking on Draco’s nipple, instantly wrapping his arms around his husband to pull him closer. “Charlie,” Draco gasped, bucking his hips up to give the arousal in his pants some friction.

Charlie pulled back and got off his husband in order to begin unbuttoning and unzipping his pants, pulling them down in one swift motion, as well as his boxers, to reveal his hardness, completely exposing Draco before him.

“It’s not fair that you still have clothes on,” Draco said, kicking off his shoes and pants, moving himself more up on the bed.

“I like seeing you exposed,” Charlie told him, removing his clothes slowly, enjoying as he watched the frustration on his husband’s face.

“Hurry,” Draco told him, leaning back onto the pillows.

“So impatient,” Charlie snickered, finally kicking off his shoes and socks to take off his pants, now just as naked as Draco.

Draco purred in delight at the sight, letting Charlie straddle him and lean down to continue pleasuring him by rubbing their cocks together as he teased his nipples with his tongue.

“Draco,” Charlie breathed into Draco’s chest, then looking at his husband, who was an absolute mess under him. Their cocks both leaked precum, needing more to bring them to completion. “Can I?”

Draco nodded frantically, widening his legs for Charlie to settle in between.

Charlie then griped under Draco’s thighs and brought them to a bent position. “Need to grab my wand,” he told the man, who nodded, only whining a little when he watched Charlie leave in order to retrieve his wand from their discarded clothes. Once he returned, he cast a spell that Draco was unfamiliar with, and then placed his fingers against Draco’s anus, as he had done the last time. This time, however, Draco was ready for more. He let Charlie know by pressing down against the fingers.

Charlie smiled a devilishly good smile at him and slowly worked one slick finger into him before stopping, letting Draco adjust. “I need to do this so I don’t hurt you,” Charlie told him. “Don’t want to hurt you,” he said, leaning forward, finger still in his ass, in order to kiss his lips.

“I know,” Draco whispered, beginning to get accustomed to the feeling of the finger. “You can move it now.”

Charlie did as told, moving it in deeper and searching, it seemed. 

Draco moaned when the finger hit a spot inside, surprising him with how good it felt. He found himself pressing down more so Charlie’s finger would press into it again.

Charlie chuckled at his husband, pulling his finger out a bit in order to push it back in, hitting that spot again. “You like that?”

“Yes,” Draco quickly replied.

“Gotta stretch you more, babe,” he then said, beginning to add another finger in slowly. “Let me know if you want me to slow down,” he then said.

“Okay,” Draco said, letting his husband continue, trusting him completely.

Charlie continued pressing the fingers in, kissing his husband through it all to distract him from any discomfort, knowing Draco would stop him if there was any pain. “You’re doing so good,” he said once the two fingers were completely inside, beginning to scissor them, stretching Draco even more, preparing his body for Charlie. “Love you so much,” he kissed Draco again. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

Draco said nothing, only moaned and hummed through it all. 

Charlie brought out more sounds by pressing against his prostate, loving each and every sound that escaped past Draco’s lips. He wanted to hear more, pumping in and out more quickly, watching his husband fall into a state of sweet pleasure at his fingers. He added in a third once he felt that Draco was ready. He felt he could finger his sexy husband till he came, but he knew there would be even greater pleasure to be had, and filed away that thought for another time. 

Draco whined loudly once Charlie completely removed his fingers.

“Patience, darling,” the red head cooed, casting that spell again before crawling over Draco’s body, lining himself up against Draco’s stretched hole. There was something else pressing against him that was much larger than a finger. “Tell me when to stop,” Charlie told him, watching every emotion that flickered across his husband’s face as he began to press into him. 

Once the head was in, Draco felt he could take some more, pulling Charlie in close to kiss him, allowing the man to move in more. Charlie stilled once he was completely inside. The pressure was huge and Draco let out a breath, trying to relax the rings of muscle around the cock. Once he felt like he could handle more, he looked into Charlie’s wonderful brown eyes that were so intensely studying him, searching for any sign that Draco wanted to stop. “You can move slowly,” he told him, smiling softly.

Charlie nodded, slowly pulling out about half way before pushing back in. He hit dead on to what Draco had discovered to be the spot that he found the most physical pleasure derived from. He stifled a moan, watching Charlie’s face. His brown eyes were looking down at him, full of love as he continued to pull out and push in. 

They found a slow rhythm and when it became too slow, Draco made sure to let his husband know by pushing up to meet his cock, causing Charlie to smirk once again, quickening his pace.

Pants and moans left Draco’s lips, while Charlie huffed and whispered Draco’s name, all the while thrusting faster and harder into the blond.

“You feel so good,” Charlie moaned, grabbing both of Draco’s thighs and guiding them into a position where he was allowed more room to fuck deeper into the blond, much to the other’s delight.

“Mmm, Charlie, yes!”

“Keep that up and I’m gonna cum,” Charlie then said, his thrusts becoming a little more inconsistent.

“Ah, Charlie, hmmmm,” Draco bit his bottom lip, feeling his climax speeding towards him before crashing down upon him. 

Charlie watched his husband come undone, thrusting in once more, and then another before pulling out and cumming onto the sheets under them. Panting, he still held Draco’s thighs, watching how the hole he had just been fucking so deliciously twitched a bit under his gaze from the stimulation and sudden lack of being filled. He then looked to Draco’s chest, seeing his husband’s spunk coat him. He placed Draco’s thighs to one side, trying to avoid getting them close to his mess, before grabbing his wand again, casting a cleaning charm he had learned for these types of situations on both the sheets and his husband’s chest. Finally, he was able to lay next to his tired husband, who was still trying to catch his breath. “You look so beautiful,” Charlie told him, leaning against him to give him a kiss against the sweaty cheek.

“I’m all sweaty,” Draco pointed out with a smile.

“So am I,” Charlie told him.

Draco chuckled before curling up to his husband. Wetness prickled at the blond’s eyes and he suddenly felt tears. Charlie was confused, believing that Draco had enjoyed it, that he was okay, that Charlie didn’t hurt him. Charlie held his husband, letting the man cry, as he apologized for what he had done wrong. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Charlie told him.

“That’s not it,” Draco then said. “I’m overwhelmed and I couldn’t help but cry,” he explained. “I love you so much.”

Charlie kissed his husband’s cheek. “I love you, too,” he said, feeling relieved that his husband wasn’t hurt.

“I feel like I want to shower,” Draco then said, “but, I want to lay here with you for a little longer.”

*** 

Ron Weasley was on day seven of his two week trip in America. So far, he had seen Houston, of which he had touched down and began his holiday. There, he went to the NASA museum and got to tour the facilities with a group of other non-Texas natives. There was an Irish group, mostly older adults, a group from another state, mostly teenagers with their chaperone, and then a group from Japan. The Japanese group spoke some English, but they did not speak often. Except one woman around his age, Ron guessed. She was excited to speak with all the other members of the trip and would often. She was nice and would often ask him if it was alright for her to go on tours with him, since he had come on the tour solo.

The second place they had gone was San Jacinto, where they toured a battleship and visited another museum. Ron was surprised by how much he enjoyed himself. He had not really thought of himself as the type to go to museums and such, yet there he was, accompanying a tiny Asian woman as they toured through the halls of technological discovery, war history, and dead people that changed America...or, Texas at the very least, which he was told by the Texans giving the tour that that was what mattered the most.

Texas was a big place and they spent a lot of time driving. They had arrived at San Antonio after, pulling in late at night and checking into their hotel. They would be there for a few days, much to Ron’s delight. This was where the Alamo was. He had seen the movies and knew the saying very well. ‘Remember the Alamo.’ He could probably get George’s hat here and maybe some other souvenirs while he was at it. Apparently they were to drive down to Goliad first, then back to San Antonia to see The Alamo. After, they had free time. The Japanese girl, Toru, that had appeared to have volunteered Ron as her designated travel buddy had already told him that she wanted to go to the River Walk and ride the boat. She excitedly told him during their bus ride about how she wanted to go to the Mexican market there, too, and the Japanese Tea Garden if they had time. Ron nodded to all of these things, feeling second hand excitement from the woman as she continued to tell him about all the places she wanted to go to with him. It felt nice, he realized, that she wanted to do all these things and experience all these things with _ him. _ She may as well have been a complete stranger, yet there they were, talking about all the places they would see together. There had been times during the bus ride that she had leaned against him with no hesitation to take a nap or just rest. He let her, not having the heart to say no, as well as enjoying the weight against him. It was oddly comforting.

San Antonio at night was pretty beautiful, especially since they were staying at a hotel on the River Walk. Toru was excited, hugging onto Ron’s arm as she grinned and took in all the sights around her. Ron couldn’t help the blush that went across his face from it.

On day eight, they went to Goliad and toured Presidio La Bahia. It was pretty amazing, in all honesty. Ron did not realize that it existed, only knowing of The Alamo. After the tour, their tour guide for the trip told them to get back on the bus so they could return to San Antonio and see The Alamo. 

“Ron-san?” Toru asked once they had gotten back on the bus.

“Yeah?”

“I’ve had a great time with you,” she said with a smile.

“I’ve had a blast with you, too, Toru.”

“I’m glad,” she said, leaning against him once again.

Ron felt like there was something he may have been missing, but he knew he was really glad to have met Toru on this trip.

*** 

George had finally set a day aside to go meet his niece, Emily. Draco had written to him a few times, telling him that Emily had loved the gifts that her uncle had picked out for her, especially the canary creams. She also had the bubble machine in her window seal she where liked to put it on before bed and watch the bubbles pop while Draco pulled out her clothes for school the next day, as Charlie was not allowed to pick out clothes for her. Her words, apparently, which George found absolutely hilarious.

He had gotten a hat with flaps for his ears, mainly for the cold, but also because he didn’t want to frighten Emily with his scar. He wasn’t self conscious about it or anything, but he didn’t want to make a bad impression on the little girl. He had made sure to grab her another carton of canary creams before flooing to the Fireseed.

He stepped out of the fireplace, noticing that nobody was in the living room when he arrived.

“George?” he heard his brother call out from another room.

“I’m here,” he said, stepping out of the fireplace and casting a cleaning charm on his body for the soot.

“Ah, you’ve made it,” he then heard, turning to see Draco poking his head out from a door. “Emily is trying to figure out which outfit she should wear to meet you in.”

“Draco!” he then heard a little voice scream. “You’re not supposed to tell him!”

Draco smirked, turning his head to look behind him.

“You’re kicked out now,” the little voice continued.

“Fine, just don’t take too long, Emi,” he said, walking thought the door and closing it behind him.

“She wants to impress her uncle,” Charlie then said, walking in with a tray of tea cups, a pot, sugar, and cream.

“I’m going to be her favorite, so she needs to ensure that she’s my favorite,” George reasoned.

“Georgie, she’s your only niece,” Charlie then pointed out.

“She may have some competition with Bill and Fleur trying,” George then said.

“What?” Charlie gasped. “They didn’t tell me.”

“Probably because you haven’t introduced them to Emily, yet.”

“Charlie,” Draco sighed, “we need to do that. You know how excited Emily is to meet everybody.” Draco turned to George, sitting next to his husband. “Emily has been telling us about how she is happy to have a big family with a lot of uncles.”

“Not many aunts,” George chuckled. “She’ll grow up to be a rowdy one.”

“Already is one,” Charlie chuckled.

“Already got a broom from her grandmother,” Draco said. “She wants to learn how to fly.”

“Good thing she’s in a family of quidditch pros,” George chuckled.

“You got that right,” Charlie smiled.

“I’m ready,” Emily’s voice then shouted from behind the door. She opened it, revealing herself to be in a purple dress with flower patterns on it. She gave them a big grin and ran over to jump in Charlie’s lap.

“Emily, this is your uncle George,” Draco told her.

“Hi, uncle George,” she grinned again, showing off her gaps from losing some baby teeth, waiting for the permanent ones to grow in.

“Nice to meet you, Emily,” George said.

“I really liked the gifts,” she told him. 

“Good thing I brought you more,” he said, handing her the canary creams.

“Yay!” she yelled, taking the box. “Charlie, can I eat these now?”

“Maybe after dinner, darling,” he told her, taking the box from her and setting it aside.

“Alright,” she agreed. “I’m hungry now.”

“You heard the little lady,” George said, “She’s hungry now.”

*** 

They took George to the muggle café in town. Peter and Amy were there, as always, eager to greet them.

“Welcome back,” Peter grinned, grabbing menus for them. “I see you brought a new customer,” he then looked to George.

“My brother-in-law,” Draco told him, leading Emily to the booth, where he sat next to her with Charlie and George sitting across from them

“I see you three are regulars,” George chuckled.

“More like Draco is,” Charlie smirked.

“They serve excellent coffee,” he defended, “and their food is to die for, unlike whatever you try to pass off to me in the morning under the name coffee,” Draco retorted, earning a pout from Charlie.

“My husband is so mean to me, Georgie,” he whined.

Emily just laughed at them and then asked for juice as her drink.

They all ordered and Peter took their orders to the back.

“He’s been asking about when you’d all come back in,” Amy said, watching her brother go through the kitchen door.

“Told you,” Charlie said lowly, a small grin on his face.

Draco didn’t know how to respond, only smiling awkwardly at the girl, who gave him a humorous grin. “He’s hopeless,” she then said.

“Am I missing something?” George asked.

“My brother is helplessly enamored by your brother-in-law,” Amy told him.

“Nonsense,” Draco tried, not knowing how else to respond.

“It’s always Draco this and Draco that,” Amy told him. “He knows your married, but I’m pretty sure you’re his first major crush.”

“He’s too beautiful,” Charlie snickered.

“You don’t have to worry about anything,” Amy then said, “I’m pretty sure it’ll fade. There’s a transfer from school who has been eyeing Peter. Too bad my brother is hopelessly oblivious.”

George couldn’t help but laugh at the predicament Draco had unwittingly found himself in.

Draco merely blushed throughout their meal, embarrassed by the conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! I had not planned on taking this long to return with another chapter. I was busy with work and then went out of the country. Ended up coming home super sick and now I feel good enough to actually get out of bed.
> 
> Welcome to Texas (Adventures feat. Ron Weasley)!
> 
> And I hope you enjoyed the small smut.


	21. Chapter 21

Austin was far behind them as they traveled from the state capital to Fort Worth, TX via train. Toru stuck to Ron, as always, as they went through the maze at the Stock Yards. They had witnessed the cattle pull through town and found is fascinating to see the large horned creatures so close. Toru had told Ron how cute she found cattle and wanted very much to pet one. There was a sleepy looking long horn that a kind man let her pet while they were there. She pulled out a Polaroid camera and asked if he would take a photo of her and Ron in front of the creature, to which the man agreed. 

After, they went to Dallas, where they got to watch a baseball game that next morning, followed by a tour of the Sixth Floor Museum, which was famous for being the building that Lee Harvey Oswald shot the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, from. The tour was interesting, yet haunting, as they toured the facilities and learned the timeline of events. It was horrible that such a thing happened, reminding Ron that muggles had their own ways of causing violence that was, in its own way, stronger than magic. Down the street, they went to the Holocaust Museum, which was also hard to get through. It was powerful and tragic, seeing all the images and pieces of history from one of the worst atrocities done to human kind in the modern age. Toru told Ron that it was eye opening to see how the rest of the world saw the events of the war, but that it was still something she didn’t like seeing. Ron held her hand the whole time, hoping that it would give her some sort of comfort throughout. He couldn’t deny how interesting he found it all, though. Of course it was an event he had known about, being British and living in a country where the events were not hidden or shrouded from the public, but to see all these photos and read all this information at once, it was a bit overwhelming and left him feeling, quite frankly, sad.

“Toru, let’s go get something to eat,” Ron suggested once their tour guide announced that they had the rest of the day free, but to meet back at the hotel by 10 P.M.

“I’m famished,” she told him, agreeing.

They ended up going to a place called Café Brazil, a 24 hour café that served endless coffee and both breakfast and non-breakfast items. The portions were huge, and most defiantly not Brazilian, from what Ron understood. Regardless, the food smelled excellent and he was glad that they walked in. 

They ordered and ate in relative silence, the contents of both museums still weighing heavily in their minds.

“I could probably eat here every day,” Toru then said aloud, cutting a piece of her pancake and holding it out for Ron to try. “Taste it,” she said.

He wordlessly accepted, eating it right off her fork, only to have her blush from it. “What?” he asked.

“An indirect kiss,” was all she said, looking at her fork wide eyed.

“Indirect kiss?” he asked.

“My mouth touched this fork and then yours did,” she explained. “You indirectly kissed me.”

It was Ron’s turn to blush. “Shit, I’m sorry,” he looked at his already used fork. “Let me get you another one,” he then looked helplessly for their waitress, who appeared to be refilling one of the coffee containers.

“No, it’s okay, Ron-san,” she insisted, still blushing.

“Are you sure? I’m sure they’ll be okay with getting you another one.”

She stabbed a piece of her pancake and brought it to her mouth. “It’s okay,” she repeated, eating the piece.

“O-oh,” he nodded, returning to his own meal.

She smiled as she watched him, but it soon fell. “You are okay with it?”

“Well, yeah,” he told her. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

This caused her blush to turn a darker shade, making it look almost as if she were burnt by the sun.

“Did I say something wrong?” he then asked, feeling the panic return.

“You didn’t,” she told him, “I just did not expect you to be so forward.”

Ron was flustered. Forward with what? He returned to his food, not knowing what to do or how to respond, only wanting to enjoy his meal with his newly made friend that just happened to be a cute girl.

*** 

Hermione signed the last document for the day, glad to finally be able to leave the office. She had been having a peaceful two weeks with her ex husband out of the country. Part of her felt guilty with how she had been, but they were through and she wanted to be able to move on with her life. She wasn’t sure what she would classify her relationship with Viktor just yet; the man had returned to her life as a friend, but she would be downright stupid to think that the man would only want to stay her friend. He had already confessed that he still was attracted to her and that he would be interested when she was ready to move past her former relationship. All that she really needed to know is if she was ready to move on. Right now, she wasn’t so sure. She still felt guilt from even the thought of seeing another man after her ex husband. Then again, why should she feel guilty? They were done.

She still loved him...

“Dammit,” she brushed the tears from her cheeks. She never wanted her marriage to end. She really believed they’d be together forever.

“Hermione?” she heard his voice call out. Viktor was there, in her office, holding a paper bag in his hand.

“Viktor, I didn’t hear you come in,” she said, avoiding his eyes, trying to hide the evidence of tears.

“What’s wrong, Hermione?” he asked, walking closer.

“Nothing,” she insisted, “nothing is wrong.” 

He walked behind her desk, coming towards her. He dropped the bag on top of the paperwork she had just finished signing. The smell of her favorite barbeque sandwich hit her nose. Viktor took her into his arms and held her to him, pulling her out of her chair in order to reach more of her. “Something is wrong,” he said.

“Is this wrong of me?” she asked. “Is it okay for me to move on?”

“Nothing I say will make difference,” he told her, “you make the decision and I stand by you.”

Hermione looked up to see Viktor’s face. He was watching her with his dark eyes. She searched through them, not sure what she was looking for. 

“I love you, Hermione,” Viktor told her, “and I was a fool to let you go.”

“You didn’t let me go,” Hermione told him, “I was always there, just did realize how much you would mean to me.”

“And now?”

“And now...I don’t know,” she admitted, “but, I do know that I want to see where things between us go.”

“I...” he hesitated. “I wish to kiss you, Hermione,” he admitted.

Hermione was unsure of what to do with that information.

“But, now is not the right time,” he continued. “You are not ready for that and I will wait.” He smiled. “You need to eat,” he looked over to the bag. “Your favorite, yes?”

Hermione broke out into a smile. “It is,” she answered.

“Good,” he pulled her close to his chest once again and cradled her head.

“Thank you, Viktor,” she said, enjoying the comfort he gave her.

“I want to make you happy,” he told her.

She brought her arms up from her sides, where they had rested the entire time, and returned the hug. “You do.”

“Eat now,” he let her go, guiding her back to her chair where her food was waiting at the desk.

“I forget to ask, why did you come?”

“To see you,” he replied.

“Thank you for the food,” she then said, opening the bag to confirm that is most defiantly was her favorite barbeque sandwich.

He smiled, pulling up a chair to sit with her while she ate.

*** 

Ginny smiled as she looked down at the engagement ring. It fit her perfectly and she absolutely loved how it looked on her hand. She and Harry were finally making the arrangements for their wedding, after taking time off in order for Harry to continue his work as an auror and for her to build up her career with the Holyhead Harpies. She had been surpassed by her brother, Ron, and even more surprisingly, her brother, Charlie. But, this was her time, now, and she planned on putting both their weddings to shame. Ron marriage, sadly, crumbled, and Charlie’s was nothing short of a sham, so she already believed that she would surpass them in those regards. Bill and Fleur were different, they married while she was still in school. She had overheard from Bill and Fleur talking at the Burrow, that they were going to try having a baby soon. She had no time for children at the moment, with her career being so physical, but she also wished to have children with Harry one day. Charlie had adopted a little girl, so that hardly counted, but that little girl was still her niece and she would treat her like family.

“Do you have any idea on how many people you expect to come to the ceremony?” the venue’s manager asked her and her fiancé.

“Probably around 50 people,” Harry answered.

“Or more,” she looked to her future husband. “There is family and close friends, your work friends, my work friends, friends from school,” she trailed off thinking of more.

“You really think there will be more than that?” Harry asked.

“Harry, this is the wedding of the century,” she reasoned. “Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived and the man to finally defeat Voldemort, marring Ginevra Weasley, war heroin and Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies.”

Harry sighed, nodding his head. “I suppose this is a bigger deal for others,” he said, taking her hand. “All I care about it finally being able to call you my wife.”

Ginny leaned in to kiss her fiancé. “I want nothing more than that, too,” she told him with a smile spreading across her freckled face. She loved him more than anything in the world and couldn’t wait to spend forever by his side.

“We will put your reservation down as a large party,” the venue manager then said, estatic to have such a high profile wedding at their location. “Now, let’s get into specifics,” they pulled out a pen and paper.

*** 

The quill in Percy’s hand was dipped into the ink once again before returning to the parchment, finishing the letter he had been writing to his brother, Bill. Percy and Bill had begun writing each other more frequently, specifically regarding their new brother-in-law and the status he had. Bill wanted to know how much The Ministry was holding back from the Malfoy-Weasley and any limitations he had that they may not be aware of.

Draco had a muggle job, so The Ministry couldn’t stop that. It was a smart move on his part and Percy was surprised that he or Charlie even thought of it. Percy had been honest with Bill, telling him that Draco having a muggle job was the smartest decision for him if he wished to work. Bill had seemed delighted to know that the blond was safe in that regard, much to Percy’s distaste. He did not understand how his brother could be so accepting, how any of them could. Charlie had married a war criminal and they seemed to take it in stride. Even Ron has loosened up his hate against the former Death Eater. George had given him a real discount at his shop and their mother was teaching him domestic spells.

The Weasley family were heroes in the war; they shouldn’t be accepting the remnants of the enemy into their home, into their family. Percy held no power in the decision, but he certainly felt the aftershock from the bomb that was Charlie’s wedding announcement. His co-workers knew, they said things, they looked at him differently, they spoke to him differently, and he was kept away from things. Draco was a stain upon his career simply by being an in-law. He was in line for promotion, but he was looked over. He _ wasn’t what they were looking for right now, _ according to his director. Bloody bastards. As if he had any say. Molly’s support was enough. Bill and George, followed by Harry and Hermione? His protest never stood a chance, but he wouldn’t have at the time. No, he was actually a little proud for his brother. He looked...happy. Perhaps he still was. Everything seemed to point to that conclusion. Charlie, the happily married man with his husband and their adopted daughter. Draco had filed the paper work and the meetings had been set. It wasn’t his department and he would have no say in the man becoming the legal guardian of that little girl. He knew a few witches and wizards in that department and they couldn’t be bought. They were honorable, they did what was good for the kids. They’d probably pass Draco through and the little girl would be his. 

Percy wrote the letter, pausing for a moment to decide on how to word his sentences. He wished to remain neutral on the entire affair, but now that it was affecting his work, he could no longer. Quite frankly, he was angry and there was a small part of him, an ugly part of him, that found pleasure in telling Draco about the book that day. He was able to see his face when he found out that there was a book out about his sins, even if some of them were fabricated, and let’s be honest, many of what was written was stretched from the truth for sales. He told Draco in order to hurt him.

He placed his quill down, not caring that the ink was dripping onto the parchment. He was the one that was in the wrong. He stood and grabbed his coat, needing to get some fresh air. It wasn’t Draco’s fault that this was happening and he wasn’t going to listen to the darkness within himself trying to convince him that it was.

Percy hesitated before grabbing the handle to the door of his office and turned, returning to his desk. He opened up a compartment, revealing a vial. He drank it before turning to leave. He would finish the letter to Bill after he took a walk.

*** 

Fleur touched her stomach, feeling the flatness of it. She felt her lips curl into a smile, knowing that soon it would no longer be flat. It would become round and full of her and her husband’s child. She had discovered earlier that day that there was something amiss when she suddenly felt uneasy, getting sick in the trashcan of their kitchen. It was a voice in the back of her head that told her to take a test and that voice turned out to be right. Fleur Isabelle Weasley was pregnant with her first child and she felt absolutely over the moon. She did the first thing she could think of, grabbing a piece of paper to send a letter to her husband, then her sister, and finally, her mother.

_ A child of her own. _ She rubbed her abdomen. _ A child of her own. _

*** 

Viktor Krum left Hermione Granger’s place after escorting her home. He left her at the door, making sure she got in okay before returning to his own room at the hotel. He had been in London much longer than he anticipated. He knew why he came. He wanted to see her. News of her divorce reached him and he was, well, he was furious. Ron Weasley had the most wonderful woman Viktor had ever met and he let her go. Viktor wanted to see her, wanted to make sure she was okay. Hermione was a woman that was never affected by his charms, never fell for his words, or lack thereof, in some cases. She treated him like a friend, like a person, not like an object; something to flaunt and show off. He had been in relationships in the past, wanting to forget her. They had been nothing more than superficial flings that ultimately meant nothing. He didn’t feel anything for them beyond a shallow physical attraction.

He apparated to the room, noticing that it had been cleaned by the staff. He found it a bit unsettling to come back to where everything had looked touched. There was nothing necessarily wrong in that regard, but it was still slightly unsettling, in all honesty. He wanted some place to call home. He was sick of hotel rooms every night, unable to lay in his own bed, in his own home. He was sick of laying down alone, cold and secluded. He wanted to lay next to Hermione, hold Hermione, listen to her tell him about her day, laugh at her jokes, and kiss her tears when the days were unkind. He loved her and it hurt to see her hurt. Ron Weasley had hurt her and she had enough of it. She was strong and he knew that he would be considered lucky to be able to call her his own. Perhaps that day would never happen and Viktor told himself that he would have to be okay with that possibility, if it ever comes to pass.

The phone in his hotel rang once, twice, and then he picked it up.

“Hello?” he asked.

_ “Viktor,” _ he heard her voice. _ “I just wanted to make sure you made it back safe.” _

“Of course,” he told her, feeling the smile dance across his lips at the knowledge that she wanted to make sure he was okay. The woman that was going through so much was worried for him. “Thank you for calling, Hermione.”

He heard her chuckle on the other end. 

“What are you doing tomorrow?”

_ “I have work, but I will be free after lunch,” _ she said. _ “Why? Do you have any ideas on how I should spend the rest of my day?” _ It was playful and he loved that tone in her voice.

“I think you should spend it with me,” he told her. 

There was a pause and Viktor was suddenly worried that he may have been too forward, may have said the wrong thing.

_ “What do you see in me, Viktor?” _ Hermione asked on the other end.

“What do you mean?”

_ “Why are you so insistent on spending time with me?” _ she asked. _ Do you...pity me?” _

“Hermione, I love you,” he told her. “I thought I made that clear.”

He heard her take a breath. It was uneasy and strangled sounding. _ “What makes me so special to you? I don’t understand. I’m annoying, I’m pushy. Viktor, my marriage just ended. Ron and I...we fought all the time.” _

“I am not Ron,” he told her. “I find you to be the most real person I have ever met,” he then said. “You are more than just beautiful. Perhaps you can be stubborn and maybe a tiny teeny bit annoying, but who isn’t?” He wanted to apparate there in an instant and hold her, assure her that he meant what he said, “Hermione, please,” he began.

_ “Could you come over?” _ she then cut him off.

“Of course,” he told her.

She hung up and he apparate in front of her apartment building. She opened the door, letting him inside. Her eyes were already wet with tears when he reached her.

“Do you mean it?” she asked, staring into his eyes.

“I mean it,” he told her, pulling her close to him.

She looked into his eyes a moment longer, searching for anything that told her he was lying. There was nothing, only the truth. She embraced him, wanting to be held by him.

“I love you, Hermione,” he told her once again.

Tears fell from her eyes once more, seeping into his shirt like rain water. He held her against him and let her cry as much as she needed to. One hand on her back, rubbing up and down in an attempt to soothe her, the other on the back of her head. He wanted to stop her tears, he wanted to see her smile.

“I’m a mess,” she cried into his shirt. “Why would you want someone like me?”

They were still in the lobby of the building. He took her up to her door and let her open it. She pulled him inside and he let her, wanting to follow her. “You are not a mess,” he told her once she closed the door. “You are just going through a hard moment in your life.”

She leaned against him once again and he wrapped his arms around her, just as he had done before. 

“You are the most wonderful person I know,” he continued, “and anyone would be lucky to even get to know you.”

“What do you want, Viktor?”

“Me?” He asked. 

She watched him.

“What I want is for you to be happy,” he told her, “and to be honest, I want to be the one to make you happy.”

“It is hard for me to accept,” she then said.

“I don’t need your answer now.”

“What if I wanted to kiss you right now?”

“I would tell you that I wanted the same.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

Viktor studied her expression this time. He leaned in a kissed her. Her lips were slightly salty from her tears. He picked her up and took her to her couch, setting her down gently, breaking the kiss to look at her, wanting to make sure that it was still okay.

She was smiling. Viktor resumed the kiss, wondering where this left them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We see what some of the others are doing.
> 
> I have been in a bit of a writing rut since returning from my trip. Unfortunately, I have not written at all, even in the days leading up to the trip. I've just been exhausted. I came back ill and then my sister came in and I just have not been able to bring myself to write. I will try to get back into it because I am actually really behind in my personal schedule for this story. I have only a few chapters left that are already written and I do not want to catch up. There are also many other projects than this one that I have. So much to do...
> 
> But thank you for keeping with this, you are all so wonderful!


	22. Chapter 22

Sydney eyed the customer that had walked through her doors. There had been far too many wizard and witches strolling through the shop lately. She had made sure that the muggles, Bes, Tanya, and Floyd were completely oblivious to their conversations through her magic. The witch that walked through today was one she recognized; Kori Van. She remembered her from school, although they were not in the same house, Sydney being a Ravenclaw and Kori being a Gryffindor. 

“Sydney, right?” Kori Van stated, walking right up to her. “We had potions together, if I’m not mistaken.”

“As well as flying lessons and charms,” Sydney corrected. Kori Van had been an average student in nearly everything, while Sydney exceeded expectations in most classes, aside from flying, astronomy, and care of magical creatures. Classes such as charms, transfiguration, and potions were a cake walk for her and she often asked the professor for extra material to forge ahead and challenge herself. Many of her classmates found this to be annoying and even hated her for it. Kori Van was one of those students.

“Ah, yes,” she smiled a smile that Sydney immediately found she disliked. It was like she was transported back to her younger years in an instant, where Kori Van and her group would taunt her in the halls. Nothing physical ever came of it, mostly just name calling and a few mostly harmless pranks here and there. “It’s quite odd to see you here, Sydney. Do you own this little muggle shop?”

“I don’t,” was all she said.

“Oh, well you always seemed to be destined for a bright future. I wonder if this is where you found comfort,” she then looked behind Sydney. “Getting stuck where you are comfortable is not always a good thing.”

Sydney turned to see Draco standing. He looked a bit stunned. Perhaps he knew Kori Van, as well, or was just shocked to see another witch in the shop.

“Miss Van,” he said, regaining his composure, “what brings you here?”

“I was just looking for some books for my class,” she said.

“Oh, I see.”

“You know each other?” Sydney asked.

“We do,” Kori replied with another unsettling smile, “I teach his adopted daughter.”

Sydney looked back to Draco, who nodded in agreement before going back to his work, trying to ignore the two witches.

“Perhaps I will come on another day,” Kori Van then said. “I just remembered I have an appointment to get to.” She turned to leave, stopping before she opened the door. “Oh and Sydney, don’t be a stranger,” she then left through the door without another word.

There was still a slight tension in the store. 

“What do you know about Kori Van?” Sydney then said, breaking the silence.

“U-um, just that she teaches at Briyer’s Primary,” he told her. “She is Emily’s teacher.”

“If she returns and I am not here, tell me,” she said. There was no room for argument in her tone.

“Of course,” he replied.

“She is a pureblood,” Sydney then said, “and is pretty proud of that.”

“She doesn’t like me,” Draco told her. 

“It’s no wonder,” Sydney scoffed. “You’re a Deatheater.”

Draco flinched at the word. “I am,” he acknowledged.

“Don’t pay her any mind,” she then told him. “She is just the teacher of your daughter for one year.”

“One year and then I won’t have to worry about her,” Draco said.

“Exactly.”

*** 

Ron Weasley found himself standing at Reunion Tower in Dallas, TX, holding the hand of Toru as they looked through the windows of the ball and sipped on wine. Inside was a restaurant that rotated. _ Rotated. _ It was something that he found absolutely fascinating. Muggle architecture was so interesting, it was no wonder his father was as hooked as he was.

“The city is so big,” Toru said. “It reminds me of Osaka a bit.”

Ron chuckled. “It reminds me a bit of London.”

She looked to him and smiled. “I hope to see London one day,” she said.

“Let me know when you do,” he told her, “I can give you a tour.”

She blushed a bit at that. “I would like that a lot, Ron-san.”

Ron returned the smile. “Toru?” he asked, feeling a bit nervous.

“Yes, Ron-san?” she asked.

“What will you do after this?”

“After this?”

“When you return home, I mean,” he said.

“Oh, well I suppose I will go back to work,” she told him, “at the hot spring with my family.”

“Hot spring?” he asked.

“I suppose I never told you,” she shied away, looking back out onto the city. “I saved up a lot of money to take this trip. My family owns and runs a hot spring back home,” she told him. “We live in the country side, where there are no big cities like this.”

“Why did you not choose some place like New York or even Boston?” Ron asked.

She shrugged. “This trip was at a better price,” she told him, simply.

He smiled at that before he began to chuckle. The chuckle turned into a laugh, shocking Toru.

“Ron-san?”

He reigned himself in, wiping his eyes as his laughter slowed. “It’s nothing,” he said, “just that the reason I was able to meet you was because of this trip. You just wanted to get away?”

She nodded.

“I did, too,” he then said.

“I’m glad to have met you,” she then told him, squeezing his hand a little.

“’m glad to have met you, too, Toru.” He hesitated a fraction of a second before he leaned in, kissing her cheek. His face was as red as his hair was at that moment, but he refused to let himself back down.

Her cheeks rivaled his, but she smiled.

Her let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him.

They looked out onto the city together until their tour guide called them to rejoin the rest of the group.

It was the last full day of their trip.

*** 

Emily and Phillip played in the park with Nora before she had to get ready for her shift at the café. Now that she worked there, Emily wasn’t able to spend as much time with Phillip outside of school. It made her a little sad, but Charlie had told her that he wouldn’t have to spend so much time at work in the afternoons. This meant that her and Phillip could play at the Fireseed, hopefully. She wanted to show Phillip all of her books that Draco had brought her from his work. She wanted to go places with Phillip, Draco, and Charlie more. Nora, too, when she wasn’t working. It was only weeks away from her birthday and there was so much she wanted to do till then. She would be turning 9 years old, which meant she only had so much time before she would go to Hogwarts and scarcely see Phillip ever again.

Her secret life was kept from Phillip and Nora, much to her disapproval, but she also knew that she couldn’t talk about it. She didn’t want to leave them. She didn’t even want to leave Charlie and Draco.

Phillip ran to where she was sitting on the swing, stopped, merely hovering above the ground, and pulled her by the hand. “Come on, Emily,” he said with a big smile. “Let’s go on the seesaw!”

She smiled and nodded. She loved the seesaw.

Nora watched them play, occasionally returning to the book in her hand. 

Emily was so glad that Nora was friends with Charlie and Draco. It made it easier to be friends with Phillip, whom she completely trusted and felt safe talking about almost everything with. _ Almost. _ She never planned on revealing her status to Phillip, which made her a little sad. Her powers would occasionally manifest during school or when she was home. It was no issue at home, but it was a little more difficult to explain during school. Luckily, her teacher, Miss Van, was always able to justify it with something else. Charlie had told her that Miss Van was a witch, too.

Emily and Phillip seesawed for a good twenty minutes, laughing as they did. After, they got off the seesaw and went to sit back on the swings together.

“Emily?” Phillip asked.

“Yeah?”

“What school are you going to after Primary?”

“Oh,” she didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t tell him Hogwarts, but she also did want to go to school without him. “I’m not sure,” she answered, unable to tell him the truth.

“I hope we go together,” he smiled.

She smiled, too. “I want to keep going to school with you.”

*** 

It was a hard day that day for Charlie. There were two new guys that he had been put in charge of training. One of them was native Romanian and spoke only a little English, although he understood it well enough. The other was an American from New Jersey with an accent so thick that he had difficulty understanding him. They both had little grasp on how physical working at the reserve would be and found themselves gassed far before the end of the day. Charlie couldn’t help but feel for them. He remembered his first few weeks working the reserve. He didn’t live on the grounds anymore, but these two did and would get a taste of what hard work truly was.

“You say you’re married?” the Jersey American, Mike, asked at the end of their shift. Charlie went to their tiny makeshift cafeteria and got a bite before flooing home, feeling it was only right to get to know the new guys a little more and answer their questions.

“I am,” Charlie replied, taking a bite of his sandwich.

“Nice,” the Romanian, Paul, replied.

“What about the two of you?” Charlie then asked.

“No wife,” Paul responded before wiggling his eyebrows seductively, “yet.”

Mike chuckled at that. “Same here,” he told the other two, “and there aren’t many women on the reserve.” It was true. “Perhaps your wife could introduce me to a couple of her friends,” he then winked at Charlie.

Charlie smiled awkwardly, unwilling to simply laugh in their face. That would be rude, after all.

“You’re wife surely has some beautiful single friends she’d be willing to set up two handsome bachelors with,” Mike continued.

Paul nodded eagerly.

“Come on, Char, don’t keep us in suspense,” Mike patted Charlie on the back. 

“I don’t have a wife,” Charlie told them, “and my husband doesn’t know many magical women to introduce you to.” He shrugged. “Maybe some muggles.”

“O-oh,” Mike said.

Paul looked over to Mike for some clarity, obviously not completely understanding what Charlie had told them.

Mike removed his arm from around Charlie and took a step back. “Maybe your spouse doesn’t have any single friends that we’d be interested in.”

“If you change your mind, just let me know,” Charlie smirked, knowing that he probably wouldn’t have to be bothered by the two men again. No skin off his back, really. With all the new people coming to the reserve this time of year, it could get a bit exhausting to meet new people. He was usually all for it, a people person, really. But, he had been tired; wearing thin from being a new father, a new husband, having a new home. There had been so many changes in his life so suddenly, he really didn’t know where to begin and how to handle them all. One step at a time was his way for now.

Really, he couldn’t wait to just get home to his daughter and his husband.

*** 

Ron held Toru’s hand the rest of the day and when they made it back to the hotel, he wished to continue holding it.

“Er, Toru?” He blushed as they stood in the hotel lobby, waiting on the elevator.

“Yes, Ron-san?” She looked up at him and smiled.

“Tomorrow we leave,” he began, “and I, well, I really don’t want to lose contact with you.”

Toru blushed a bit.

“Could we write letters to each other?”

“Letters?” 

“Well, yeah,” he shrugged.

“You are very old fashioned, Ron-san,” she giggled, “I like that about you.”

Ron blushed even harder, turning impossibly red. The elevator dinged, informing them of its arrival. 

“I would love to write,” she told him. “Come with me to my room and I will write down my address for you,” she continued, “and you can give me yours.”

“O-okay,” Ron stuttered, nervous about the whole thing, yet so excited. 

Toru giggled again. “You are cute.” 

Ron couldn’t fight off the smile that blossomed across his lips; smiling for her, for how she made him feel.

The elevator doors opened and they walked inside. Ron moved to press the button at the same time Toru did. It turned into an awkward shuffle of “oh, here,” and “let me get it,” much to both of their embarrassment. Their flushed faces were enough to heat up the small space. Finally getting to their floor and standing in front of Toru’s room was like a blessing. 

Until she invited Ron inside.

It felt forbidden when he walked through the doorway and into the woman’s room. Like he shouldn’t be there. Like he was cheating...

“I need to get back to my room soon,” he suddenly said after writing his address quickly, yet legibly, on one of the hotel’s provided note pads.

“Oh, of course,” she smiled, handing him a piece of paper with her address written on it.

“Thanks,” he accepted it, leaning in and kissing her cheek, hesitating after. Why did he do that? Merlin, he felt so wrong.

“What’s wrong, Ron-san?” Toru asked. She slowly reached out and took his hand. “You look sad.”

Ron didn’t even realize that his eyes had become watery. His throat felt raw and like he may be ill. His chest hurt. He began crying.

Toru didn’t know what to do.

“I-I’m,” he couldn’t get the words out. Their divorce was not exactly final, but it was as good as done. There was one more paper to sign and then he would be officially divorced from one Hermione Granger, his first love, the love he believed would be his last. It was waiting for him when he returned.

“Sit,” Toru insisted, pulling him to sit on the plush chair in the corner, to which he followed. “Just relax, Ron-san,” she told him, sitting on the arm rest of the chair, petting his hair back as he tried to catch his breath. 

He leaned back in the chair and tried to calm himself down. Tears ran down his cheeks, but he did nothing to stop them.

“I do not know what waits for you back in England,” Toru then said, “but I will be thinking of you in Japan.”

Ron turned his eyes to see her. She held her hands together and had her head tilted down towards them. There was a smile on her face.

“I would like to come visit London,” she continued, “and to see you.”

Ron, tear steaks staining his red freckled face, found the ability to still smile at the small woman sitting next to him. “I’m getting divorced,” he admitted, “and when I get home, I’ll sign the last paper, finalizing it.”

Toru was wide eyed. 

“I want you to understand that leaving is very hard for me,” he continued, “because that means I am going back to one of the most difficult moments of my life.” Even with the war, watching his marriage die was one of his worst experiences. “When I leave, I go back to that mind set. My life goes back to falling apart.”

She took his hand.

“I’m a b-broken person, I’m a mess, I-I’m no good, Toru, I’m n-no g-good,” he was cut off by soft lips against his. Cutting off his train of thought. Everything was frozen, as if time itself had stopped. Wide eyed, he saw her, eyes closed. He felt frozen in that moment for minutes, hours, days, even. Really, it was only a second or so.

She pulled back, flushed, looking embarrassed. 

Ron was stunned, but he pulled her close, on top of him, kissing her again, properly this time.

Lips touching lips, skin touching skin. Hands on her hips, moving to wrap his arms around her and pull her closer. The feeling of her small breasts, soft and pushing up against him.

The fear, the anxiety. All of his thoughts of home and his life, what life he had, they were all gone in that moment, kissed away by Toru. All he wanted was her, all he needed was her, and yet they only had this night.

\- - - - - - - - - - 

“Come back to England with me,” Ron told her, running his fingers through her dark black hair, loving how it felt, loving how she felt against him.

They were lying in her bed, clothed, and curled up against each other. Toru rested her head on Ron’s chest, listing to his heart beat, which had calmed considerably since before. Their make out session had stayed at that, even with Ron moving them to the bed so he could touch her more, kiss her more, and just be closer to her. 

“What about my family?” she asked, sounding tired and a bit sad.

“We could bring them when we get settled,” he told her. “I’ll get us a house, big enough for all of us. You, me, your parents. I would do that.”

“Why?”

“Why?” he echoed.

“Why?” she asked again. “Why would you do that? Why do you want me to go with you?”

He stiffened. “I,” he closed his mouth. “Because I don’t want this to end,” he decided.

“Am I just a distraction from your life at home?”

“No,” he told her, certain in that. “I really do care about you, Toru.”

She moved her head from his chest, looking into his eyes. She leaned forward, kissing him again. It was slow, unlike their earlier session, and it was deep. “My parents would never want to leave the hot spring,” she then said after breaking the kiss.

“What do you want?” 

“I, well,” she leaned against him once more. “I want this,” she admitted. “I want to spend more time with you, Ron-san.”

“We would...have to get married,” Ron told her, “for you to live in England with me.”

“We do not know each other all that well,” she then said.

“My brother proposed to his husband after only knowing him for one day,” Ron chuckled after he said it, realizing the insanity of it. “They seem to be doing pretty well, even if his husband is a git.”

Toru hummed. “Marriage visa?”

Ron smiled. “Yeah.”

“You get me a ring?” she grinned, seeming to entertain the idea a little more.

“Of course,” he smiled at her. His family ring was with Hermione and he couldn’t reuse that. He would save it for his children. He would get one for Toru, one that he picked out. Something special.

She moved her left hand, extending her arm in front of her, admiring her hand with no ring on it. “The ring will go here,” she moved her ring finger up and down.

Ron smiled, looking at her face. It was radiant, he thought, she was so beautiful. He rolled on top of her, kissing her again. “I’ll get you a perfect ring,” he told her. Another kiss. “One that will look beautiful on your finger.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it has taken so long. I had planned on posting this chapter after writing another chapter or two, but my sisters came in and I had no time. The next chapter may take a bit longer to post, I really want to write a few more chapters before I post the next one. I need to do some stuff with my car and I am also going to see my partner for a few days, so there is also that...not a lot of time to write...


	23. Chapter 23

“You’re joking,” Charlie couldn’t help the surprised, yet entertained grin that plastered itself across his freckled face.

“I can’t make this stuff up,” George responded with as much enthusiasm. “It’s just too good.”

“And you say that someone came into your shop and told you this?” Charlie asked. “And you believe them?”

“I don’t see a reason why not,” his little brother responded. “I was told that our little brother was seen at a jeweler, picking out a damn engagement ring.”

Charlie sat back in his chair, trying to internalize what was happening. 

He had received a letter from George that he would be in soon, having his brother floo in later that night. Draco and Emily were out with Molly and Arthur, so they had the house to themselves while George shared the news of their recently returned youngest brother.

“Do you think she is an American?” George asked.

“Probably,” Charlie mused, “he was in America after all.”

“Or will she be a Texan?” George wiggled his eyebrows. “Did our little brother snag himself a cowgirl?”

Charlie couldn’t stop the laugh from escaping him. “Do you think she’s going to want a cow ranch in the country or something?”

George’s laughter raised at that. “He’ll have himself a proper ranch with cows and horses as far as the eye can see.”

“What if she’s a muggle?” Charlie’s laughter then died. “What if she has no idea?”

George thought on that. “Surely he wouldn’t be so foolish.”

A beat.

“We better go find out,” Charlie declared, grabbing his coat and moving to the fireplace first.

*** 

Hermione had known her ex-husband had traveled to America after their split. There were divorce papers waiting for him when he returned. She had yet to deliver them, but she hated to greet him with such an unfortunate thing as soon as he got off the plane. She chose to wait, chose to let him ride off his excitement from his trip before she reminded him of what she was dealing with here, what he would return to. She didn’t want to bring him back to the dark place he was in before he left.

Then she heard he was ring shopping. George and Charlie had went looking for Ron, finding him at the Burrow, of course. They asked him outright, not realizing that Ginny was there, too, grabbing some things for her and Harry’s upcoming wedding. She was the one to tell Hermione of the new and sudden development.

She held her wedding ring in her hand, preparing herself for what she was about to do.

It hurt. Damn, did it just _ hurt. _ She wanted Ron to move on, of course, but to get engaged before their divorce was even finalized? To suddenly find her replacement? It hurt her so much. How dare he, she thought to herself, fiddling with the ring in her palm. 

She had yet to tell Viktor. She stopped fiddling with the ring. What Ron was doing, was it so wrong from what she had done? She had moved on. She was still legally married, but she had moved on. It still hurt.

Feeling for the divorce papers that were under her arm, she continued to his office. He was in today, she just knew it.

*** 

Draco and Emily returned to their home, surprised to see that Charlie was not there. It was when Draco saw a scribbled note on the coffee table did he discover that his husband had gone to see George.

He had known about the ring at this point. It had been two days since he and Emily returned, with Charlie telling him the news after Emily was put to bed.

“Where is Charlie?” Emily asked from the couch, not having read the note.

“He is with your uncle George,” Draco told her, placing the note back on the coffee table, telling himself he will toss it later.

Emily sat up and ran to the window looking out to their front yard. “Draco, someone is here.”

Draco went to the window where his daughter was, looking for the stranger. It was Ron on his broom and he looked a mess.

“Darling, go to your room really quick while I speak to your uncle,” he told her.

“Okay,” she slowly walked to her room, really wanting to know what had Draco so concerned.

Draco waited for her door to close before he walked out of the house.

“Where is he?” Ron asked, looking equal parts angry and devastated.

“He’s not here,” Draco told the other. “What’s wrong?” he stood his ground, unwilling to let the other just simply push past him in his search from Charlie.

“She knows,” he crumbled, falling to the floor, papers in hand. 

Draco’s eyes widened a bit at the sight of them. Someone must have told Hermione. Unable to leave his brother-in-law in this state on their lawn and without knowing what else to do, he grabbed the man by his arms and pulled him up, leading him inside. “I need you to try to get yourself together,” he then said, leading him into the dining room. He knew he wouldn’t be able to silence the dining room effectively, but it was the furthest room from Emily’s. “My daughter is here and I don’t want her worrying over why her uncle suddenly flew over in tears.”

Ron nodded, unable to stop his crying, however. He sat at the table at Draco’s insistence and accepted the tissue when offered, eventually having a whole box brought to him as he tried to calm himself enough to speak.

Draco patiently waited for his former enemy to collect himself.

“She br-brought the papers over during work,” he finally got out, “along with the r-ring.” He sniffed. “I think Ginny told her.”

Draco nodded, unsure as to how he should respond. The separation of Hermione and Ron has been a touchy subject within the family, something that he and Charlie rarely even spoke of to each other. With their divorce and Ron’s sudden decision to hop on a plane to America, it was like a sudden explosion.

“How about we talk about your trip,” Draco suddenly said. “Charlie hasn’t told me anything and I’m...curious as to how America is.”

Ron, red faced and wet, watched Draco speak. “Only saw Texas,” he said, sniffling after and grabbing another tissue. “Real big place, lots of land. It was like traveling across all of Europe with how much driving we did,” he gave a small laugh, much to Draco’s surprise and a bit of relief. The tension began to wane as Ron continued to talk about his trip, telling Draco of the cities, the sights, and of course, the food. “I met a girl in our group,” he then said. “She was real friendly and open, wanting to speak to me to practice her English and stuff. She’s from Japan,” he continued. “She asked if I would go to some places with her and if I would help her with speaking to locals. Her English was really good, but I think she is a little insecure in it, still, or somethin’. I don’t really know.”

Draco gave him a soft smile as he listened.

“It was our last night and I don’ know what happened, really,” he admitted. “I just wanted to be with her longer, wanted to stay in that room, wanted to stay with her. I didn’t want to go home just yet.”

“Do you think marrying her is the right thing to do?” Draco then asked. There was no judgment in his voice, for who was he to judge? His marriage was something else, after all. Just plain curiosity.

“When I asked, I meant it,” Ron told him, “and I intend on bringing her over here.”

Draco just nodded. 

“Her name is Toru and she makes me happy.”

“May I see the ring?” Draco asked.

Ron fumbled through his pant pockets, because of course he would keep the ring with him at all times. That’s just the kind of person he was. When he finally fished it out, he revealed a beautiful silver ring with a simple diamond. It was cut beautifully and Ron smiled as he looked at it.

“It’s lovely,” Draco observed, “I’m sure she will love it.”

“There is only one thing I’m really worried about,” he then began.

“What’s that?”

“She’s a muggle.”

“Oh.”

“Draco,” Ron almost choked. “I can’t stay at the Burrow any longer and I still don’t have a place besides my old flat, but I let Hermione keep it.”

“You can stay here,” Draco told him almost immediately. “I’ll let Charlie know when he gets home.”

“Thanks,” Ron put the ring back in his pocket. “I was wrong about you,” he then said. “You’re not really a snake and you can be a good guy when it matters.” He smirked. “You can still be a git sometimes, but you’re not a bad guy.”

Draco snorted, getting up to show Ron where the spare room was.

*** 

George and Charlie had gone out to a wizard pub. They had been spending more time together as of late, much to both of their appreciation and enjoyment.

“You know, we are both so busy,” George slurred, already on his third pint. “I got the shop; you got your family and the dragons.”

“Yeah,” Charlie sighed, “I feel like I am torn between the two sometimes.”

“You and Draco are good, yeah?”

“Of course,” Charlie smiled at the mention of his husband. “More than good, really,” he continued, “I wanna just hold him and kiss him all the time.”

George chuckled. “He lets you do that?”

“Sometimes,” Charlie said, “when it’s late and Emily is in bed. Always wanna just,” 

“Let me stop you there,” George suddenly sobered. “I don’t want to hear about you and your husband’s nightly activities.”

“Merlin, he’s so sexy,” Charlie ignored. “What about you, Georgie? Think you’ll ever settle down with anyone?”

“Never,” the twin smirked, “I got the store and that’s all I’ll ever need as a lover.”

Charlie sighed contently at that, smiling at his brother. “As long as you’re happy, Georgie.”

“Happy, yeah,” George sighed, less than contently.

Charlie patted his shoulder. “We all miss him,” he reminded. “Don’t keep it all bottled in, little brother.”

“I’ve been speaking with someone a little more regularly about it,” he admitted. “Really don’t know why I waited so long,” he then chuckled sadly at the whole thing.

“We all needed time to heal, to process,” Charlie sipped at his glass. “I think I pushed myself into work to cope,” he admitted.

“Mum and dad really do worry about that,” George told him, “as do we all.”

“Emily helps a lot,” Charlie said, “as does Draco. They give me a reason to come home, to take a day off. Would probably work myself to death if it weren’t for them.”

“How is my darling niece, after all?” George then asked, changing the uncomfortable subject.

“She’s a mess,” Charlie laughed, “wild, but she’s a good kid.”

“She sounds like a Weasley,” George chuckled.

“She really is,” Charlie smiled. “I’m lucky to have her, even though...”

“Yeah,” George took a big drink of his pint, finishing it off.

“I should probably get back to them,” Charlie then spoke. “You can come with, if you’d like.”

George thought for a moment, humming as he did so. “Perhaps another time,” he smiled. “I don’t want my darling niece seeing me like this.”

Charlie nodded, standing up to hug his brother before he apparated away.

*** 

Emily had become concerned as to why her uncle had shown up, yet she was told to stay in her room. She was aware that her uncle Ron and Draco didn’t have the best relationship, seeing as they had fought in a literal fist fight the last time they were left alone together. She could hear their voices and they didn’t seem to be fighting, at least, even if she couldn’t understand what they were saying. Their tones were too hushed for her to make out any words, but she could hear her uncle’s sniffles. It made her feel sad that she wasn’t able to be out there with Draco. She didn’t want her uncle to cry.

After a while, they were silent and she could hear movement. She took that as her cue to open the door, so she did. Draco was leading her uncle towards the bedroom that nobody used anymore. 

“Emily?” her uncle was the first to notice her. He looked better, no longer as upset, which made Emily feel a bit better, as well.

“Oh darling, just a moment,” Draco the said, “let me show uncle Ron the guest bedroom and then you and I will have a talk.”

She nodded.

“I’ll meet you in your room, okay?”

“Okay,” she returned to her room, moving to sit on her bed and waited for Draco to come back.

It didn’t take the blond long before he opened her door slowly, peeking his head through to see where she was. “Emily, I need to tell you something.”

She was prepared for whatever it was that had made her uncle so upset.

“Uncle Ron will be staying with us a while,” he began, sitting next to her on her bed. “Charlie doesn’t know yet, but I’ll talk to him when he gets here, too.”

A sudden gush was heard from the living room, causing both heads to turn towards the sound. 

“Draco?” the voice of his husband called out. “Emily?”

Some shuffling and Emily’s door opened, revealing a red faced Charlie with a goofy grin on it.

“Charlie,” Draco stood up, realizing the man had been drinking, “I’ll meet you in our room, just give me a moment.”

Charlie pouted, but obeyed, closing the door and thinking nothing of his husband and his daughter’s obvious serious moment. 

Draco sighed. Things were not going the way he wanted. “Emily,” he sat down again, “you’ve never met your aunt Hermione,” he told her. “She and Ron are no longer married, which is why your uncle is so upset. I know it’s difficult to understand, but for right now, just know that your uncle is going through a lot of changes, kind of like the changes you went through when you moved in with us. He needs us to be there for him and I think this is the perfect time for you two to spend some time together. Maybe just not at this second.”

Emily nodded. “What can make uncle Ron happy?”

Draco hugged her. “You are the sweetest,” he told her. “For now, let’s just give him some space and then we can talk about how to make him feel better.”

Emily nodded again, returning Draco’s hug.

“I need to go talk to Charlie now,” he told her, kissing her forehead. “Today may be just an inside playing day. You think you can do that for me?”

“Yes,” she told him with a smile.

“Good girl,” he kissed her forehead again before getting up to leave.

*** 

Charlie lay on their soft bed, smiling to himself. He felt nice on the bed. His body was heavy, but now it felt light. Perhaps he had drank too much with Georgie, but he didn’t care all that much at the moment. He looked around the room, wondering where his sexy husband was. He wanted to hold him and maybe convince him to do some other things with him, too.

When Draco finally came into the room, Charlie was very pleased to see him. “Come here,” he held out his hand for the man, pulling him onto the bed when Draco accepted it.

“We need to talk,” Draco told him, letting himself be held by his drunk husband. 

“Why?” Charlie cooed, kissing the nape of Draco’s pale neck, loving how soft his skin was. “I want to kiss you now, we can talk later.” He ran his hand under Draco’s shirt, caressing his side and moving upwards towards his chest.

“We really should talk now,” Draco tried, flush from Charlie’s lips and touches. “It’s important.”

Charlie sighed and leaned back. “Alright, what is it?”

“You’re brother is here,” Draco began, “and he will be staying with us for a while.”

“Which one?” Charlie asked, furrowing his eyebrows together, suddenly feeling whole lot less drunk than he had a moment ago.

“Ron,” Draco continued, “and he’s not in a good way,” a sigh. “Hermione delivered him the papers today, along with her ring.”

“The family ring?”

“The family ring.”

“At least she had the courtesy to return it.”

“Charlie, this is serious,” Draco told him, “and your brother showed up on his broom in tears.”

Charlie frowned a bit, “I’ll talk to him about it.”

“I don’t need you to convince him to leave,” Draco quickly stopped him. “I need you to be there for him and support him. I already told him he could stay and I plan on keeping to that.” Draco cuddled up to his husband after that. “I want to help him through this.”

“That’s very noble of you, dear. Very unlike you, though.”

“Rude,” Draco lightly punched his arm. “I will have you know that your brother and I are working on mending our relationship.”

“I know,” Charlie said, suddenly feeling much more sober.

“I am also very honored that he chose me to open up to about his trip and this girl that he is intent on bringing over here,” Draco then added.

“He told you about her?” Charlie was suddenly very interested.

“He did,” Draco looked up at his husband, “and you won’t get anything out of me until he gives me the okay and until you go in there and support your brother through this bomb that was just dropped on him.”

“Hmmmm,” Charlie whined, “not even if I pleasure you senseless?” 

“Why the bloody hell would I suddenly start talking about your brother’s love life while you fuck me?”

“Oh my god,” Charlie snickered, kissing his husband, “I meant in exchange.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “No, babe.”

“Fiiiiine,” he admitted defeat. “I’ll go talk to him.”

“Thank you,” Draco smiled.

“After I kiss you some more,” Charlie added, claiming Draco’s lips before the blond could protest.

*** 

Ron looked around the well decorated guest room. The bedding was made up nicely and the décor was so very unMalfoy like, it almost made him forget whose home this was. He thought the same when he first arrived to the Fireseed, back when he was still living in the Burrow, back before he had met Toru. He wondered if the house was somehow self-cleaning or if his brother had some house elves Ron was not aware of.

He had heard about the book published about his brother-in-law when he had arrived back in London and wondered how much of it was true, knowing that probably less than half since Rita Skeeter was the author, and how much of it was horrible slander and lies. Then again, even Draco was to admit that he had done horrible things in his past; in his school days and during the war. Even Ron didn’t know everything and perhaps he didn’t want to know. Living with the Dark Lord must have been absolute hell and, if what Draco had said was to be true, having to house the man unwillingly...one would have gone mad, surely. 

He could not deny that his was extremely curious about the book, perhaps even enough to purchase a copy for himself, although he would never allow it to be seen by anyone he knew. He’d have to keep it hidden somewhere, perhaps his office. Percy had a copy, he knew. His brother was the one to tell him about it, after all. He even said that it was eye opening in some ways.

Percy had certainly become less of a brother over the years. He grew more distant with the rest of the siblings, although he still stayed close with their parents. Ron’s mum and dad would never allow one of their kids to stray too far from them without a fight. He often wondered what went through Percy’s mind and what he was thinking, especially during the war. He wondered what his brother thought of the rest of them, of what he thought of Ginny getting married to Harry, of Ron marrying and divorcing Hermione, even of what he truly felt of Charlie marrying Draco and adopting a child. Percy Weasley was a mystery, but he was still Ron’s brother. He still loved them, Ron was sure. He had to.

What would he think about Ron marrying a muggle?

He was pulled from his thoughts by the knock at the door before it opened, revealing Charlie’s reddened face.

“You’re drunk,” Ron noticed.

“So what?” Charlie brushed off, moving into the room and sitting on the bed, sighing, and then leaning back to lay on it, his legs dangling off the end. “I can be drunk if I want to.”

Ron rolled his eyes, leaning back to lay next to his older brother.

“Draco’s part veela,” Charlie suddenly said.

“What?” Ron replied, surprised.

“Thought it’d be a good ice breaker,” he admitted, smirking now that he thought about how random the information actually seemed. “I tell you something about my husband and you tell me something about your girlfriend. I even went first, so now it’s your turn."

Ron scowled. “I don’t know how Bill can stand to play your games so much,” he said before continuing, “Her name is Toru.”

“Toru? Cute name,” Charlie smiled. “Draco works at a book store now.”

“A book store?” Ron asked. “Really? Thought you two would be good on cash,” he then added, “She is from Japan.”

“Ooooh, Japan? Nice,” Charlie sighed. “Draco works for fun and I’m going to ignore the multiple questions rule Bill and I use, since we aren’t asking any questions here.”

“That’s all I get?” Ron asked, ignoring the last part. He didn’t like playing Charlie’s question games, really. “We met on the trip, she was part of the group I was in. She asked me to help her with her English and to sight see with her.”

“Draco goes to a local café in town and one of the employees has a crush on him, it’s actually pretty adorable.”

“I feel like your little Draco facts are pretty boring compared to what I’m giving you,” Ron told him. “Toru’s family owns a hot spring in the country, so living in London will be a pretty big shock for her.”

“I started with some pretty big information,” Charlie countered.

“And then it became very mundane,” Ron replied.

“Fine, I was Draco’s first everything,” he admitted, knowing that Draco would probably be pretty upset about Charlie giving out all this information about him to Ron.

“Wait, really?” Ron looked over to his brother.

Charlie was staring up at the ceiling, just as Ron had been doing, and nodded. “Yep,” he smiled, “I was able to be the only person for him to kiss, to marry, and to have sex with.”

Ron watched his brother for a moment more. “I asked her to marry me because I can’t stand the thought of coming back here alone,” he admitted. “She knows I’m going through the divorce and that I’m still real messed up by it.”

“I think Draco was the first person I could really love after the war,” Charlie admitted. “I love you all, you’re my family, but being with you could sometimes be too painful, you know? Draco was someone that I didn’t associate with Fred. I love him and I trust him and it doesn’t hurt.”

“I get what you mean,” Ron frowned. “Hermione was torn up at the funeral, she knew him, we went to school together, and Toru doesn’t know any of that. She doesn’t even know about the war.”

Charlie looked over to Ron, suspicious as to what he meant by that.

“Toru is a muggle,” Ron said, confirming his brother’s suspicions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are nearing the end, I can feel it.


	24. Chapter 24

“Did you know?”

“About what?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I did, he told me.”

“You could have warned me, at least.”

“So you could what exactly? Convince him to leave her?”

“So I could at least not go in there blind.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, darling, it doesn’t suit you.”

“You’re right, I should just leave the dramatics to you.”

Draco huffed.

“I told him some things,” Charlie admitted, stopping his pacing across their room, looking at his husband, who had been patiently waiting on the bed for Charlie to gather his thoughts.

“What things?”

“About us,” he hesitated, “about you.”

“Charlie, _ what _ things?”

“I told him you’re a veela,” he bit his lip. “In fact, it was the first thing I told him.”

_ “Charlie!” _

“I had to make sure he knew that I was willing to give as much information as he was, so I started out hard,” Charlie defended. “I wanted to make sure he could feel like he trusted talking to me about these things.”

“Charlie, he works for the Ministry, and need I remind you that he and I don’t have the best history?”

“He wouldn’t say anything,” Charlie began, “surely he wouldn’t after you offered our home to him.”

“We don’t know that,” Draco countered, frustrated at his husband and thankful for the silencing charm they had on their room. They had gotten a lot of use out of it, for sure.

“You and I both know that Ron would never turn you in for something like that. He is adamantly against the Ministry auctioning off veela witches and wizards. He is part of the new reformation of the Ministry, we can trust him with this information.”

“You better be right,” Draco conceded, feeling stressed. “What else did you tell him?”

“That I love you,” Charlie cooed, walking towards his husband.

“You better,” Draco snickered, smiling when Charlie came closer.

“And that I was your firsts,” he added, a bit quietly, but loud enough for Draco to hear with him so close.

“You did what?” Those brilliant green eyes were suddenly furious as they stared upon one Charlie Weasley.

“Babe, we were sharing our significant other’s most personal information,” he tried to reason, “I did this for us.”

“He’s only known her for a few weeks, what is there for him to know so deeply?” Draco sighed loudly and dramatically, still upset, but no longer willing to question his husband’s actions at the moment. He was still high on the kisses he had shared with Charlie before his husband went and spilled all his secrets to his brother-in-law in an attempt to comfort the man. Even if he was upset at Charlie, he still wanted Charlie to fuck him till he couldn’t remember his own name. He grabbed Charlie’s collar and pulled the hulking man on top of him. “You better make this up to me, darling,” he purred into the man’s ear.

Charlie felt goose bumps from the tone of his husband’s voice and those words went straight to his dick as he claiming Draco’s lips quickly before pulling away and attacking his neck with his lips.

Draco let out a moan that sounded almost like a sigh of relief at that.

“Love the sounds you make,” Charlie whispered against his skin.

Draco only hummed in response, pulling Charlie closer.

*** 

_ \- three weeks later - _

*** 

“Can’t believe Ron Weasley is marrying a muggle,” Sydney sipped her tea.

“It was pretty shocking to hear,” Draco agreed. He was surprised that Sydney even came to him with the question. Apparently her sister was Ron’s secretary or something and mentioned it to her.

“He’s living with you, is he?” She then asked. They had just finished the big rush of the day and had decided that Bes and Tanya could handle the front while she took Draco into the back to take a break.

“For a nearly a month, I suppose,” Draco responded.

“How is that going?”

“Surprisingly well,” Draco admitted with a small smile. “He’s pretty good with Emily and he keeps the guest room surprisingly clean.”

“Messy, aye?”

“He was horrible in school,” Draco told her, remembering how messy the other’s potion stations would be and how he always seemed unorganized. “But, our relationship is improving.”

She smiled at that and took another sip of tea.

The relationship between she and Draco had improved immensely, as well, much to both of their surprise. She found herself hating him less as they worked together. He kept to himself for the most part, but would indulge his coworkers on his personal life when asked. He was pretty good at keeping his status as a wizard under wraps, much to her relief. He just feigned naivety and having a sheltered life on muggle things he didn’t understand, which was working out for him. 

He would stay late and help her when business was exceptionally busy in order to restock and clean while the others left. He had gotten better at recommending books to customers and he was in no way shy of dealing with a difficult customer, something she found quite shocking, until she remembered who he had to deal with for a time.

“What do his parents think?” she asked.

Draco sighed at that. “Molly isn’t the most agreeable with the idea, but Arthur is elated. His interest in muggle technology and culture certainly set up his kids for a better understanding of how the other half lives, I believe.”

“What about yourself?”

“Muggles were always looked down upon in my family,” he told her, “although I’m sure you could imagine how the great Malfoy family views muggles. I was no different until after the war.”

“I suppose I fail to understand what changed,” she admitted.

“Charlie changed how I saw things, I think. I mean, I can’t credit him for all of it. I suppose a sudden fall from being the heir to the Malfoy fortune to a low life Deatheater changes one’s view on the world and its people,” he smiled, “but, I feel as if he pulled me from the hole I had dug and introduced me to the rest of the world. Muggles, wizards, all just people.”

“How poetic,” she smirked. “Muggles have certainly caused a large impact on my life, I cannot imagine where I would be without this little shop.”

Draco couldn’t help but agree. It’s not like he needed the money, but he liked it here. He liked his coworkers and he liked the work.

“How is the process of getting her here going?” Sydney then asked.

“He says it is going smoothly,” Draco told her. “He said she took a lot of photos of them together while they were on their trip and she is mailing them to the Boarder Agency. The Ministry is already fine with it, although I’m not sure he has told them that he is with a muggle.”

“They’ll get quite the surprise,” Sydney chuckled. “They still hounding you?”

“Not since my wedding, honestly,” Draco realized. “I suppose they lost interest.”

“That’s good, right?”

“It is,” he smiled. “I just have to continue being an upstanding citizen.”

Sydney rolled her eyes. “It was a surprise to see your brother-in-law show up, though.”

“Percy?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she replied.

“I don’t know how he found me,” Draco sighed.

“Maybe he just walked in,” she suggested.

“Yeah, maybe.”

“Kori’s not giving your little girl any problems?”

“None, I’m pretty sure Emily adores her,” Draco admitted, which was a little unsettling. “She speaks to Charlie, but rarely even makes eye contact with me.”

“Probably doesn’t help that she had a thing for just about every guy on the Gryffindor quidditch team when we were in school,” Sydney snorted, “your husband included.”

“I wish I got to see him play,” Draco sighed.

“He was good,” Sydney recalled, “real good. Could have gone pro, I bet.”

“Ginny did,” Draco commented, remembering how Harry’s soon-to-be-wife was on a team, or was, he couldn’t quite recall.

“Ah, yeah, I remember reading that in the paper. Their wedding’s coming up?”

“Next week,” Draco frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“Not sure if I’m going to go,” he admitted.

“Not invited?”

“We got an invitation,” he clarified. “She despises me and he was my enemy for all of our school years.”

“You sure married into a family with some strong opinions on you,” Sydney joked, half serious.

“He says he forgives me and that the past is in the past, but it just doesn’t feel right.”

“Then don’t go,” she said.

“Charlie’s so excited about his little sister getting married.”

“Then do go and show all of them how you’ve changed,” she sighed. “You’re killing me here, you know.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.”

“What book are you on?” she asked, changing the subject. 

_ “Tale of the Body Thief,” _ he replied. “Just started it.”

“That’s a weird one,” she said, “Oddly, I enjoyed it.”

“Lestat strikes again,” he smirked.

“He sure does,” she finished the last of her tea. “We better get back to work.”

*** 

Ron received another letter from Toru, one that he was excited about getting. It had some pictures in the envelope, as well. She was so lovely, he thought; pictures of her with her cat, pictures of her with her family, pictures of her posing in cute ways. He kept them all, of course. He had told her how he was officially divorced, how he could finally be with her, and how he had submitted all the paper work needed for her to come over. It would take time, they both knew, but he was willing to wait for her. He looked forward to them starting their life anew, together.

He had looked for a new apartment in London, close enough for her to reach the nearest tube station or to walk to nearby shops and businesses, as well as far enough from where he used to live. He had yet to tell her about what she was getting into, what world she was about to enter. He was scared of telling her and decided to wait until she got her, then he could introduce her slowly, show her all the fantastical things that she had no idea even existed. 

He had signed his name at the end of his letter, telling her that he couldn’t wait to see her. He put it in an envelope and attached a picture of his own in it. It wasn’t enchanted, of course, but it was of him and Charlie. He told her of how he was staying with his brother and his brother’s husband while he was getting his shit together. She had told him that she thought they were very kind to allow him to stay and she couldn’t wait to meet his family.

He didn’t mention his sister’s wedding, deciding to surprise her with that later when he attached a photo of him in his tux as Harry’s best man. The only down side of the whole thing was that Hermione was Ginny’s maid of honor and that she would be attending with Krum in tow.

He thought about how he would introduce her into his world. It would be hard at first and she would probably think he was mad, but he cared about her, maybe even loved her, as crazy as that sounded even to himself. He was ready to spend his life with this woman and to share everything with her.

He would introduce her to his friends, introduce her to his family. Things would be okay, they would work out. He was certain of it.

*** 

Of course Percy thought that Ron was making a mistake, just as he believed Charlie had. He wouldn’t say anything, he would keep his mouth shut, but he truly did not understand his brothers. He loved them still, yet failed to understand how one could choose to marry someone they barely knew.

“At least she’s not a Deatheater,” he said to himself as he continued walking down the London street, enjoying the silence of the early morning. The sound his shoes made on the pavement was appeasing to the ear. The click, click, click of it, soothing. He was off to work, something he did every day, even on his days off. Married to the job, many would say, and he was unable to disagree with that statement. He kept his hands in the pockets of his coat, keeping them warm on the walk. The tiny vial rubbed against the back of his hand.

He made a mental note to pick up his suit from the cleaners at lunch time. He wasn’t sure when he would get another chance that day and he wanted to have it ready for the big day. Ginny had better only be getting married this once.

*** 

Flur was excited for this wedding, as she was for nearly every wedding. She was even looking forward to Ron and the Japanese girl’s wedding. She loved Japan and its beautiful people, having visited many times with her family when she was younger.

“What is on your mind, my love?” Bill asked, reading the paper.

“Just thinking about what to wear for the wedding,” she replied with a smile as she joined him on their couch and leaned against him.

He put the paper down and wrapped his arm around her. “Regardless of what you wear, you will be the most beautiful woman there.”

She giggled, but did not disagree with the statement. “I want to dance with you there.”

“Absolutely,” he agreed.

She smiled a toothy smile and leaned in to kiss him. “I cannot wait till we tell them.”

Bill caressed her still flat tummy.

*** 

Ginny Weasley looked in the mirror and saw a stunning woman before her. Her red hair was done up and her makeup was on point. The white dress she had chosen with Hermione was one that was from a dream; certainly the most radiant dress she could find. Her wedding would be absolutely perfect.

A knock and a quick peek from Hermione to check on her signaled that it was almost time for her to get out there and for the ceremony to start. She wasn’t sure who had all made it, but she had received word that the venue was nearly full. The decorations had all been put up that morning and the enchantments had been placed. This would be the proper wedding for two people such as them; they were heroes. And what was wrong with wanting a big wedding? Nothing. It was a spectacle, a show. It was a demonstration of their relationship and their love, which in of itself was big. They had gone through a lot together, almost died for one another. Ginny deserved the big wedding she wanted. She loved to be the front of attention, which suited her quite well, she thought. She wanted to be seen, she wanted to be heard. Once she retired from the sport, she would do something more public with her career.

“Is everything ready?” Hermione asked.

“It’s perfect,” Ginny smiled.

*** 

George sat next to his niece, Emily, with Bill on his other side. Charlie sat on the other side of Emily, with his husband next to him. Fleur sat next to Bill and Molly, with Arthur waiting to walk his daughter down the aisle. Draco sat by Percy and there seemed to be some tension between the two, George noticed. He rolled his eyes when it first became apparent. At least the two were not letting it get in the way of the big day. He would have to ask Percy about it later.

The sound of music began to play as Harry was seen looking down the aisle, waiting for his bride to appear. Ginny came out first with her father, looking absolutely gorgeous in her dress, walking down the aisle and joining her husband-to-be. Hermione came in after her, joining the bride at the altar. The wedding party was small, much to nearly everyone’s surprise, except for the siblings. They knew that Ginny didn’t want much attention taken away from them.

George waited for the ceremony to officially start, grateful that he only had one more of these things to go, with Ron surprising everyone with his sudden engagement. He knew that Percy had no plans of finding a suitor, nor any desire for one. It perfectly suited George to not have to attend any more weddings in the foreseeable future. They were long and boring in his opinion. At least the reception had plenty of food and drink. He could even be found on the dance floor if he got enough mead in him. 

Eventually the couple said their “I do’s” and the ceremony soon came to an end. Hand-in-hand, George watched as Ginny finally got her wish and Mr. and Mrs. Potter walked down the aisle together as man and wife. The family stood up to follow them out and they all made their way to the reception. George made sure he was the first in line for the food when it became available, because he was starving. He was pretty sure he zoned out during the ceremony, not that he’d ever admit it.

“The ceremony was so lovely,” he heard one of her teammates from the Holyhead Harpies gush.

“Oh wasn’t it?” Another agreed. “I’m so happy for our Ginny. She has wanted this for so long and now it’s finally come true.”

George smiled at that. It was true, his little sister had wanted this for a long time. He always liked Harry and couldn’t think of anyone else he would trust with his baby sister, not that she needed protecting or anything. She was raised with nothing but boys; she knew how to handle herself.

*** 

Harry approached Charlie and Draco during the reception. “Mind if I steal your husband away for a moment?” Harry asked Charlie, who had been speaking to Draco about what to do during Emily’s next school holiday.

Charlie looked to his husband for approval. “Sure,” he said, receiving a smile from the blond.

“Thanks,” he smiled, placing an arm around the blond’s back and leading him away to a place that was a little more quiet and a little less crowded.

“Congratulations,” Draco said first once they had found a more secluded place outside of the venue. He wasn’t sure why Harry had asked him to follow.

“Thanks,” Harry responded, “and thank you for coming. I know it must be a bit awkward.”

“The past is the past,” Draco echoed the words Harry had told him once before.

The man smiled at that. “I pulled you away because I want to apologize for some of the recent things that have come out.”

“You mean the book?” Draco asked, eyeing Harry for a moment. “Potter, I don’t think there was anything that was going to stop Skeeter from publishing it.”

“I should have stopped it when I first heard of it,” Harry admitted. “I received a tip that she was planning on releasing it, but I was so occupied with planning the wedding and work that I just sort of let it slip my mind.”

“You’re overworked,” Draco sighed, “and it’s no wonder. You take on too much, always have. Even I saw that during our school days. You managed to keep up your grades, ensure the win of the House Cup, play Quidditch, and stop some horrible evil all at the same time.”

“I’m pretty sure some of those House points were bogus,” Harry laughed.

“For sure,” Draco smiled, “The great Potter sneezes his way to another House Cup victory.”

Harry let out another laugh at that. “At the time I totally thought some of those points should have been higher.”

Draco found himself chuckling at the thought of their younger selves. “I’m sure the younger me would spit in the face of anyone that told him he’d grow up to marry a Weasley and be brother-in-laws with Harry Potter.”

“I’m certain you would’ve,” Harry chuckled. “I want to make more of an effort to mend what we have here,” he then said. “You once offered friendship to me our first year. Now I want to offer the same sentiment.” He held out a hand.

Draco didn’t even hesitate when he took it. “I truly want to move on from the past,” he said. “The person I was and the person I have become, I want them to be different.”

“You’re different,” Harry assured, “There’s no way Charlie agreed to marry the Draco Malfoy I knew. I can see it in you. You’re different.”

“Easy there,” Draco snorted, trying to fight off the rising blush, “We’re both married men and I think even my giant husband is scared of your new wife.”

Harry rolled his eyes, but still got a good laugh from that. “Ginny would kill me,” he said.

Draco smiled. Once he perhaps thought of Potter that way, confused and scared of his budding sexuality, but now the only man he wanted was Charlie. “It’s a bit chilly out here,” Draco then said.

“It is,” Harry agreed.

“We should go back inside,” Draco told him with the complete intention of returning indoors and back into the warmth.

“Perhaps,” Harry replied, although he looked a bit hazy. 

Draco looked at him quizzically, unsure what Harry was trying to do. There was no reason to hesitate. It was cold and they had already spoken to each other. They should return to their respective spouses.

“Your eyes are beautiful tonight,” Harry commented then, reaching up to caress Draco’s cheek.

It was then that the alarms went off in Draco’s head. His blood was betraying him at the worst moment. This was his new brother-in-law and former nemesis/rival. There was no room to contemplate anything. He was married to the love of his life (probably) and the man in front of him literally just got married.

“I’m going in,” Draco told him, pulling away from the touch.

It seemed to snap Harry from whatever daze he was in. “Wha? Right, r-right, let’s go back.” He still didn’t move right away. “Draco?”

Draco turned to look at the man.

“What was that?” he asked in full seriousness and confusion. 

“What was what?” he feigned ignorance, knowing full well he wasn’t pulling it off.

Harry studied Draco until the blond turned away.

“I’m going back inside,” Draco told him, not wasting any time in returning. It was a close call and he didn’t know what triggered it.

By the time he returned to his husband’s side, he tried to stop thinking about it too hard. This was a celebration and he intended on making the most of it. Charlie pulled Draco onto the dance floor and the blond couldn’t resist the man’s request for a dance or two. A matching pair of smiles stayed with the two as they enjoyed their night. Emily managed to get a few dances with them when she wasn’t dancing with her uncle George or her grandmother, Molly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe this is the last full chapter I have prewritten. For now, things will begin to slow down. There have been some complicated, but not bad, things going on in my life and I have not had the time or the energy to sit down and write. Apologies in advance, but this is what I get for not finishing a story before I begin posting it.


	25. Chapter 25

“What do you mean he collapsed?” Ron asked Hermione, who looked largely unhappy with speaking to her now ex husband. 

“I mean exactly what I said, Ronald. Your brother was looking through some files and then he collapsed,” she told him. She hated being so blunt about it, but she didn’t want to speak with him. However, she knew that Ron needed to know that his brother, Percy, was not doing well. Collapsed, even. “There has been an order to search his office,” she sighed.

“Why?” Ron asked.

“The person who witnessed it found a vial in his pocket. A quick analysis of it revealed it to be a stamina potion and a strong one at that. Did you know that he was taking them?”

“Of course I didn’t know,” Ron told her, “Percy barely speaks to me, let alone reveal that he takes stamina potions to get through the day.”

“I doubt it’s just today,” Hermione sighed again. “He’s been running himself ragged, according to his secretary.”

“And why didn’t she say anything earlier?” Ron then asked, clearly upset.

“She said that he ordered her not to,” Hermione frowned. 

“Percy has always been a workaholic,” Ron sighed.

*** 

“Percy Ignatious Weasley,” Molly Weasley scolded her son who had been set up in a hospital wing in magical London.

“Mum,” he tried, immediately getting told to stay quiet.

“I can’t believe you have been taking stamina potions all this time,” he sat down with a plop in the chair at his bedside. “Do you know how worried your father and I was when we received the news?” she took his hand, catching her son by surprise. “I thought they were to tell us that you were beyond help,” she gripped his hand tightly then, “only now I know that you’re actually okay enough for me to knock some sense into you.” She held a strong frown as she stared down her son.

“Mum, I swear I didn’t,” he was cut off again.

“Percy, you’re a smart boy, you know what you were doing,” she narrowed her eyes.

“Fine,” he finally admitted. “Although, I did think that I could fight off the affects of the potion much more than I actually was able to,” he continued.

“Darling, what possessed you to do such a thing?”

“I work hard and long, mum,” he told her, “and sometimes there isn’t enough time for everything.”

“But stamina potions? Especially as many as you’ve taken?” she shook her head. “Darling, those are so dangerous in large doses.”

“I know,” he sighed. “I just can’t let myself fall behind.”

“Percy,” Molly almost shouted before her composure broke. “You’re in a hospital bed,” she cried, “Ron told me that you passed out from exhaustion.”

Percy flinched.

“It may not have been that serious to you, but my baby boy is in the hospital because he’s too stubborn to know when to call it a day,” Molly said.

“I,” Percy felt his lip tremble, “I’m sorry mum,” he said.

Molly pulled him in for a crushing hug. “It’ll be okay, love,” she told him.

Percy let the stress from the past few months roll off of him, years of overworking released by the fall of hot tears. The harshness of the past few weeks rolling down his cheeks and the pain of the last few days falling to his medical gown, soaking into it before inevitably drying up as time passed. 

“Your father and I want you to take some time to recover before returning to work,” Molly told him.

Percy only nodded, unable to trust his voice to make a noise in response.

*** 

_ ‘My brother, Percy, collapsed a few days ago. He is out of the hospital now and is recovering at my parent’s house. My mum doesn’t trust him to be alone. Not because of anything you might think, but because she doesn’t think that he will listen to the doctor’s advice and take it easy. He’s a workaholic and that’s what caused the problem. He’ll be okay, though. With my mum and dad there to make sure he’s okay, he’ll be okay.’ _

_ Yours, _

_ Ron _

*** 

A year had passed and Draco had finally gotten the papers in the mail.

“Darling,” Draco frantically called out to his husband. “Darling,” he repeated, clutching the envelope in his hand.

Emily was standing next to him, vibrating with excitement. 

Charlie placed a hand on his husband’s shoulder. “You want me to open it?”

“N-no,” he took a deep breath, beginning to open the envelope.

“What’s it say?” Emily asked.

“I don’t know yet,” Draco told her, nervous.

Charlie placed a peck on the man’s cheek. “You’ve got this,” he cheered with a big smile.

Draco finally got the envelope opened, shaky fingers pulled the papers out.

Emily bounced up and down with anticipation.

Draco read it over silently. His face was unreadable besides the obvious nervousness. 

“Draco,” Emily whined.

The blond smiled, looking over to Emily. “You’re mine,” he almost choked out, reaching out to hug her, dropping the papers in his hand as he did so.

Charlie placed a hand over his mouth, a loss for words in his happiness. He embraced his daughter and husband, as well.

*** 

Hermione locked the door behind her, finally back home. She went to her bathroom to clean up before she began to prepare for the night ahead. She had bought all that she needed to prepare dinner that night and couldn’t wait for Viktor to arrive. Now that they were officially together, she didn’t feel the need to hide how much he made her happy. At first, she tried to play off that Viktor was just her friend when they first started seeing each other once the divorce was settled and she felt really ready to see him romantically. She knew that nobody bought it, but that’s okay. It was what she needed, really. Her guilt of moving on needed to be worked through before she was open with her new relationship. She was really grateful that Viktor was patient with her about it. Now, though, things were different and they were quite open with their relationship. Tonight, she planned on making a nice dinner for the two of them. She had quite the meal planned. It had been nearly two weeks since they had last been able to see each other, what with her busy schedule and Viktor’s own obligations and work.

A knock was heard at her door, notifying her that Viktor had already arrived.

She opened the door, feeling a bit regretful that she had not been able to start cooking. She had a long day at the office and was unable to get away when she wanted to. “Evening dear,” she greeted with a kiss for her lover as he came into the apartment. “I haven’t started cooking just yet, I had only just gotten home myself,” she admitted.

“No problem,” Viktor smiled. “I’ll help you,” he said, pulling the woman in close and giving her a proper kiss, not like the greeting she initiated. With the placement of his hand on her lower back, he held her against him as he worked his lips against hers. He felt her lips turn up into a smile and he knew that the actual cooking part of tonight may not get on as soon as Hermione wanted. 

“Viktor, what about dinner?” she asked with a breathy sigh.

“Perhaps we order tonight,” he suggested, returning to her lips. 

As he moved down to give attention to her neck, he felt her let out a gasp from the contact. She gripped his arms as she moved her head in a way to expose her neck further to him, wanting more of the contact.

Hermione let herself fall against him as he moved her forward, leading her towards her bedroom. “Mmmm, Viktor,” she moaned when his hand went from the small of her back to palming her bottom with his strong hand.

“Tell me what you want,” he told her as he laid her onto the bed, crawling on top of her to continue stimulating her with his touches and lips.

Hermione let out a breath as she pulled him up from her neck to her mouth in order to claim the lips that had caused such temptation to say fuck it and simply forgo dinner in order to satisfy their more carnal desires. “Darling, I need to make dinner,” she tried.

“Let me worry about dinner and take care of you,” Viktor’s heavy and deep voice rumbled against her ear, sending waves of anticipation through her body.

She nodded, giving in to him.

Viktor smiled, kissing her cheek and down her face and neck as he began unbuttoning Hermione’s blouse. 

Hermione’s already flushed face seemed to burn even hotter once she remembered what bra she had been wearing, intending on seducing her lover during or after dinner. The pink lace bra was soon exposed, as well as the realization from Viktor that there was no actual hiding of Hermione’s nipples from the bra. It was see-through, showing off her very erect nipples.

Viktor’s eyes went from her exposed bra to her face, giving her a devilish grin when he realized that his seemingly innocent lover had a rebellious streak in her that had extended beyond Hogwarts. “You wore this all day in anticipation of tonight?” he asked, already knowing the answer as he moved to lick to one of her nipples through the lacy fabric. “You did this for me?” he asked, sucking on the other nipple.

“Yes,” Hermione sighed in ecstasy, be it answering his questions or simply encouraging the actions.

Viktor began to pull at the zipper of her slacks, undoing the fastenings, and taking them off in a quick motion. Her panties matched the bra in color and lace, however the skin was hidden behind the fabric, not that Viktor minded. He planned on taking them off of his lover very soon.

Trying to kick off her slacks, Hermione began moving under Viktor. She then began attempting to take off her blouse completely, giving her more freedom of movement and more comfort in general. Wiggling to get her slacks off, she ended up turning a bit, exposing her backside, revealing that she had actually been wearing a thong with a lacy front, much to Viktor’s delight.

He pushed her side, flipping her onto her stomach, pulling the slacks of completely, only leaving the blouse to constrict Hermione’s arms a bit. He didn’t bother with removing the blouse just yet, instead keeping his attention on the thin string of fabric that lined the middle of her bottom. Viktor placed his hands on each cheek and pulled them firmly apart, revealing the hole of her anus, still a bit hidden from the thin fabric of her thong. 

“So lovely,” Viktor told her.

“I made sure to clean up as soon as I got home,” she told him, a bit embarrassed to admit.

Viktor hummed in approval. “No need to be embarrassed,” he assured her before leaning in and lapping at the hole before his tongue dived into her, shocking her before the pleasurable sensation washed over her.

Hermione’s moans of pleasure came through her as she archer her hips in order to give her lover a better access.

When she began to move her hips, Viktor got more access to her, to which one hand left her bottom and began to explore her other private region. When his fingers moved under her thong and found the heat of her vagina, he wasted no time in exploring it with a finger. She was already very wet from the stimulation of his tongue and the introduction of a finger graced him with louder moans that brought him pleasure as well. The erotic sounds she made caused his own arousal to grow.

“Viktor,” she moaned out and that was all it took for him to lose his control. Taking off the rest of his garments, he couldn’t stop himself from guiding his hardened cock into her, pushing past those velvety folds and into that delicious heat.

*** 

The best part of the new school year, in Draco’s eyes, was that he didn’t have to deal with Kori Van anymore. He was more than relieved to discover that she sought out no real vengeance or prejudice against him or his family besides passive aggressive stares or comments.

Really, things had been looking up for him. His life at the bookstore has been much easier; customers now recognize him and are pretty kind to him, he still works great with all the employees, even Sydney, and he still likes it, which is a plus. He’s gotten his veela powers under control, for the most part, and Potter seems to have either forgotten or not bothered with what had happened at his wedding. Charlie had been pretty calm about it when he told him, too. 

He and Ron’s relationship was pretty stable and they almost never argued anymore. Sure, there were little things, but nothing so big as to cause a fuss over anymore. He mostly worked and planned more on bringing his fiancée over when he could. Draco was pretty excited to meet her after all this time. All the paperwork had been filed and now they all just played the waiting game.

Fleur and Bill had finally met Emily, announcing their own bundle of join coming very soon with Fleur being pregnant. Draco felt a bit of envy from the entire situation; he could never give Charlie a child of their own blood. There would never be a small child running through the Fireseed that shared the DNA of both Draco and Charlie. Charlie had made it more than clear with Draco that he didn’t need a child that carried his DNA, that he had what he wanted and he wanted both Draco and Emily, and they both loved her like she was their own blood. Really, they had everything they ever wanted.

In their lovely den, Charlie came up behind his husband who had been lost in thought as he stood in front of their burning fireplace. He wrapped an arm around Draco’s front, startling the blond before he soon relaxed upon realization that it was his husband. “Emily will soon be 10,” he whispered into the blond’s ear. 

“Don’t remind me,” the blond sighed, leaning back against his husband’s comforting hold. “She is growing up so fast. She will be going to Hogwarts next year.”

“Aye,” Charlie agreed, kissing the man’s slender neck. “She hasn’t mentioned anything she wants to me for a present. Have you heard anything?”

“Nothing,” Draco told him. “Have you asked George? You know those two are as thick as thieves.” 

Charlie chuckled softly, rubbing Draco’s hip with his other hand. “I’ll make sure to ask him when he drops her off tonight.”

“What will we do when she leaves for Hogwarts?” Draco asked.

“We will cheer for her from afar and look forward to breaks,” Charlie told him.

“I’ll have her home and I won’t want her to leave,” Draco sighed. “Why can’t she just stay little forever?”

Charlie nuzzled into Draco’s hair. “It will be worth seeing her grow up and become a strong witch,” he said.

“And support anything she wishes to pursue,” Draco added with a smile.

“Bow down to our future overlord, Emily,” Charlie smiled.

“Don’t even joke, darling,” Draco giggled.

Charlie hummed. “One day we will be old and grey as we watch her succeed.”

“We shouldn’t put too much pressure on her,” Draco noted.

“Yeah,” Charlie agreed.

“Do you ever feel nervous about her getting older?” Draco asked, a small frown on his face that Charlie was unable to see.

“Of course I do,” Charlie assured, holding his husband a little tighter.

“Am I ridiculous to be worried about her going in as my daughter?” he asked.

Charlie didn’t know what to say, so he just continued to hold his husband. “Darling,” he sighed.

“It’s silly of me, isn’t it,” Draco concluded.

“I don’t think it is silly to worry about our daughter.”

“I just don’t want her to suffer because of me.”

Charlie just held him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter after a small moment of not realy knowing what to do and having absolutly zero willpower to type anything. Sorry that it took so long, I will try to do better, but I'm not sure when the next chapter will be. I will be away from my computer for a few days.
> 
> Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.


	26. Chapter 26

“Dear Mr. Weasley,” Ron began reading aloud in the Fireseed living room to his brother, brother-in-law, and niece, “After reviewing and investigating your claim, we have deciding to grant permission to Miss Akechi for a 90 day visa to the United Kingdom for an interview. If approved, you will both be granted permission to wed in the country for Miss Aketchi’s permanent visa,” Ron was speaking much louder now, shaking with excitement and grinning from ear to ear. “We got approved!” he cheered, reaching over to hug Charlie and jump up and down.

“Miss Toru is coming to visit now?” Emily asked.

“Yes,” Ron cheered, “she’s coming to London!”

*** 

Toru had received a letter pretty quickly, telling her to get her documents sorted and to inform her family of what would be transpiring. Ron would be traveling to her village in order to meet her parents and escort her to London, where they would stay with his brother while they went through the visa interview and (hopefully) wedding planning. She was so close to finally being reunited with her fiancé, who had yet to actually propose to her properly, and begin her life in England. She was beyond excited and happily informed her family. Her mother cried, although she quickly told her daughter that she was happy for her and couldn’t wait to meet Ron-san. Her father smiled and nodded in approval to the news, excited for his daughter and the new life she would find in Europe with her soon-to-be-husband.

“We must make a special dinner to greet him with,” her mother announced, pulling out a piece of paper to make notes on what ingredients she would need and what they already had.

“We should just have a hot pot,” her father suggested. “He is British, surely he would find it exotic,” he chuckled. “Your Ron-san is adventurous?”

“I think so,” Toru giggled, thinking of her red headed giant. He was so tall and large compared to her. She secretly dreamed of him holding her in his strong and muscular arms at night.

“I will go get some good meat,” her mother told her.

The family was very excited to meet the red headed foreigner that had captured their daughter’s heart.

“He can sleep in the guest room while he is here,” her father then told her. “I will get the futon and let it air out for him.” He left the two in order to prepare.

“When does he arrive?”

“He said he was planning on arriving in a couple of days,” Toru said, “and that he wants to help me pack up my things here.”

“My beloved daughter is all grown up,” her mother sighed.

“I will make sure to get you and papa over for the wedding,” she hugged her mother.

“I can’t wait to see my beautiful daughter become a wife,” her mother began to cry again.

*** 

_ Another wedding, _ Draco sighed, he was tired of them, quite frankly. _ Surely this would be the last one for a while. Except for Granger’s, of course, _ he reminded himself.

He was sitting in his bedroom, alone. Charlie had taken Emily out to see her grandparents at the Burrow while Draco opted to stay home. He had been feeling a bit anxious lately, probably because he had yet to open _ The Snake Prince _ which currently resided at the end of their bed where he had put it before plopping on it, as well. Its former home had been made in their closet, where Draco had put it after purchasing it, not ready to open it up quite yet. Miss Skeeter had surely written some horrible things about him, both truthful and lies, and he wasn’t quite prepared to realize what others had head about him just yet...that is, until today. He had talked it over with Charlie and he had decided that now was the time. Charlie had agreed to vacate the house for him with Ron out to prepare for Toru’s arrival and to head off to Japan.

The book was heavy I his hands and he held it. He opened it and decided to start at the beginning.

_ Those who had lived and survived through the war against the dreaded Voldemort know all too well of the Malfoy family’s involvement, as well as the once esteemed family’s heritage and lineage. Purebloods till the end, it seems, with the heir to the Malfoy family fortune settling down in an arranged marriage between himself and a pureblooded war hero. However, not all is as it seems and the Malfoy heir did not simply stumble through the war innocently and unscathed. No, there were dark matters at his hand as he entered Hogwarts as a young boy destined to turn against the wizarding world and throw the entire country, nay, the entire world in political unbalance and terror as the Malfoy family helped bring upon the return of the dark wizard, Lord Voldemort!_

_To understand one’s decent into dark and forbidden magic, one must first seek out the beginning; for one Draco Malfoy, that was his birth. Bred into the Malfoy bloodline by a Malfoy and a Black, he had a lot to live up to. Two families with ties to dark magic and Lord Voldemort himself, Draco Malfoy was destined for greatness, horrid and unspeakable greatness. A true villain, one might say. As a small child, the young Malfoy was taught to hate anything and anyone that was not of pure blood, like many pure line wizard and witches are. He was groomed to become the heir to the family estate and fortune, as well as all of the titles and responsibilities that followed._

_ Lucius Malfoy, his father, was a man with an air to him that bled wealth and power. For his son to take up the mantle was his dream, a dream that he sought to come to fruition. It was so that Draco Malfoy would follow in his footsteps to become a servant of the dark lord as his father had been. _

Draco had not wanted to read what she had to say about his father, a man that he had not seen in years, and knew would be spoken of ill in every way. Regardless of what his father had done, had become, he was still Draco’s father and he loved him. He skimmed through the early chapters until he found himself in his school days.

_ When Draco entered his first year of Hogwarts, he was a perfect foil to the Boy Who Lived. Young Harry Potter had extended his hand to the Malfoy heir and was rejected. Destiny had pitted these two against each other and there would be nothing to change destiny. _

_Their school years are long and wide with many stories that may or may not be known to the public, like how Draco had managed to make an attempt on Mr. Potter’s life or the life of one of his friends and classmates at least once per year. These attempts were ignored by the staff and faculty of Hogwarts for years up until the presence of Lord Voldemort began to become more and more apparent. Monster attacks and curses littered their years in that castle up until the end of their sixth year, where things began to crash to a halt. The seventh year wasn’t to be for the two and the war truly began._

_But, their school days weren’t all fighting and dark curses, oh no, there was much more to it than that. Draco Malfoy truly began his life as a wizard in those halls, practicing his skills and growing more and more hateful in hat legendary castle. To say that he was a product of his environment is an understatement, surely, as Draco Malfoy was bred into a pureblood family with pureblood ideals. He continued those ideals and practices in his daily life, even in the presence of halfblooded students and even faculty of the school. To know him was to fear him, for some students, and for others, surely it was to pity him._

_The lone Malfoy heir was truly lonely. He only had his lackeys at his disposal and never any friends or allies that he could find comfort in. Nay, he was alone in this world, isolated even from his mother and father, who were not much better in terms of comfort, as their hearts were as cold as the touch of a frost salamander. Lord Voldemort’s will gave Draco Malfoy a purpose far beyond anything that the wizarding world could give him and there was no stopping him once Lord Voldemort had come back. _

Draco read through the inaccuracies of his school days, occasionally surprised by some of the facts that were actually there. Things like his quidditch career during school were fairly accurate, as well as his competency during potion lessons. Then there was the dreaded attack on him by the hippogriff. Surely he was not so wimpy as described. He recalled the pain and the small scar that had not been able to fade completely on his arm. The fib was to be scoffed at. He continued reading through, finding some interesting views on how the outside world perceived the events of the Tri Wizard Tournament and the return of Voldemort. He continued reading till he made it to their second to last year. 

_ The wand that Draco Malfoy possessed was used to kill his own headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Sure, there are many who claim that Draco Malfoy was not the one responsible for the headmaster’s murder, even Harry Potter himself claims that the Malfoy heir was not the one to cast the forbidden curse, but there are many who doubt this claim, believing that Harry Potter was confused or misremembered, even protecting the other for one reason of another. All that can be said for certain is that Draco Malfoy’s wand was the one that the curse came from, killing Albus Dumbledore in their sixth year. _

A tear fell from Draco’s eyes and landed on the book in his hands. That night had haunted him since it had happened. He had never wanted to be a part of that plot, had never wanted to fall that far, had never wanted to kill anybody. The book went on to talk about how he had fallen under the radar after that, up until the last battle. He had not wanted to leave the mansion after that, but there were times when he had to. There were also times when he wanted nothing more than to run away and never return to that dreadful place once the dark lord had come under their roof.

Those were dark times for everyone. It was a time that he truly felt he was at his lowest point, desperate for anything to end the war and to finish of what had been started, what he had help start. He had not told his husband everything and he wasn’t sure if there would ever be a time where he was able to tell him everything. It was so hard to speak of it, so hard to think of it. It was a time that he considered that he may wish to just die, to just be free from it all. The book continued one from there, speaking of his participation in the war and how he was a war criminal. That was true, he was a criminal. He didn’t deserve to be free. Without Charlie, he may have just gotten his just desserts. Someone from the Ministry would have made sure that he suffered for his crimes properly. His mother feared for him, loving him too much for him to succumb to such a fate. She was not the cold woman that the book had made her out to be, she could never be. 

_ The war had ended and the Malfoy heir had managed to avoid persecution for his crimes. There was a call for justice and the Ministry would have obliged if the Weasley family had not stepped in. Charlie Weasley, war hero and dragon tamer, took control of the Malfoy family wealth by claiming the heir as his husband. Outrage had struck the wizarding world as some believed that he had gotten away with his crimes. Surely the Weasley was unable to break the man, surely there would be another battle, another tragedy. Surely Draco Malfoy would show his true colors and take the life of the man that intended on breaking him and causing him to submit to the rival pureblood family. After all, it is no secret that the two families had not gotten along in recent memory. _

_The two wed on the Weasley property, with Charlie Weasley being given all of the Malfoy assets, even the ones that were seized by the Ministry. Properties and magical creatures, all at the dragon tamer’s disposal. One would be worried if he were not such a simple minded man. With all that he had acquired so easily, Charlie Weasley could lead and fund another Great War, if he or his husband so wished. _

Draco didn’t like what she was implying. As if he or Charlie would ever wish to bring about another war. It had taken so many lives and devastated the lives of the survivors. The Weasley family had experienced loss, as had the Malfoy family in other ways.

_ The Ministry, as of the publication of this book, are still trying to find ways to control the Malfoy fortune. _

Of course they are...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while...
> 
> Motivation is hard to find when you're cooped up all day...
> 
> Sorry it took so long.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very Ron centric chapter.

“Toru? Toru!” Ron waved at his fiancée from where he was. He had just gotten off the plane and was walking away from customs with his backpack. He still had to go get his suitcase, but he could care less when his fiancée stood twenty feet from him. He took off in a jog towards her, wrapping her up in his arms when he reached her.

“Ron-san,” she wept tears of happiness against him. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” he told her, kissing the top of her head. It was like a dream to finally hold her in his arms again. They hadn’t seen each other in over a year and now they had finally been allowed to be together, as long as they passed the immigration interview and process, that is. Step one was getting Toru to London.

“I can’t wait for you to meet my family,” she told him excitedly.

Ron couldn’t deny that he was beyond nervous about that. Meeting Hermione’s parents had been easier than he expected. He remembered them both being terribly fascinated with him and his family. Being a family of muggles birthing a magically gifted daughter, they were interested in the culture. Toru had no idea what she was getting into and he _ knew _ it had been way too late to back out now. He needed to tell her, but Merlin did he not want to. She would find out soon, he knew, at the latest when she came to the Fireseed. He could always tell her before they left. Oh what to do...

*** 

Stepping out of the airport and into the city was like stepping into a whole new world. The language surrounding him was so foreign to English or any other European language that he had heard or was familiar with. Hearing some of the sounds from the city was fairly familiar to him, though, living in London and all for as long as he had. The sights were something to see, though! So many different stores were surrounding him, and the text of the language, so different! He didn’t even begin to know how to read it. He looked to Toru many times on their walk to the train station, asking her what certain signs read and what they all meant. She would giggle and tell him that she would help him learn if he wanted. He couldn’t stop the blush from appearing when he accepted the offer to be taught. He wanted to take in more of Toru’s culture and heritage. He wanted to show her that it meant something to him because it meant everything to her. Japan was already amazing and Ron had just arrived.

“Are you hungry?” she had asked him.

“Famished,” he sighed, having not eaten much on the last half of the plane ride. It was fairly early in the morning and it had been a long flight.

“Famished?” she asked, appearing unfamiliar with the word.

“I’m hungry,” he smiled.

She smiled, taking his hand. “I will take you to eat.”

She took them to a small place where there were plastic plates with plastic food on the outside, displaying dishes that were sold in that particular place. Apparently that was a fairly common thing, Ron was told. He found that quite amazing. Toru ordered for him after he pointed out what he wanted and then ordered him a drink he was surprised to find was green.

“Melon soda,” she informed him, “you should try.”

Hesitantly he did so, finding it to be extremely delicious. He didn’t know that sodas even came in melon flavor, having never stumbled upon such back home. He wasn’t even sure what particular melon it was flavored from. Once the food arrived, Ron took the chopsticks handed to him, breaking them apart. They had not broken evenly, but he didn’t let it discourage him. His food, omurice as Toru had called it, was pretty good. It reminded him of a omelet, although he supposed it really _ was _ an omelet like the name suggested, just with rice.

They talked about his trip there and he told her that he brought gifts with him for her family, to which she became quite bashful, telling him that it was unnecessary and very sweet of him. He had wanted to make a good first impression on her folks. After all, he was taking their daughter to another country where he would be marrying her. They did not speak English, according to Toru, but he didn’t let that discourage him from enacting the first step of his plan. He had not told Toru about it in his letters and planned on keeping it a secret till later when their wedding date was closer and they were both already in England.

When they had gotten on the train, it was fairly similar to the Tube he had in London. There were cushioned seats, hand rails for those who needed to stand. Windows lines the sides to look out of and see the surrounding cities, which eventually evaporated into small towns, which turned into even smaller villages. Eventually, after many hours of riding and switching lines and trains, they made it to Toru’s village. It was in the country and it was now close to dinner time.

“We’re here,” Toru announced stepping off the train and onto the platform.

Ron looked around the outdoor station, admiring the small little village he had entered. It was getting dark now and there were many people lighting their outdoor lamps and signs for what he assumed to be bars and restaurants.

“Follow me, I will show you my home,” she smiled, taking Ron’s hand and leading him down the street and towards a more residential area. There were some people riding past them on bikes and a few cars that passed, but it seemed a majority of people chose to walk to and from places.

They happened upon a cute house, where Toru walked right up and opened the door, announcing herself in Japanese, bringing forth two strangers, a man and a woman, to which Ron then made the connection that these were Mr. and Mrs. Aketchi. 

“Nice to meet you,” Ron said, bowing a bit as they smiled and bowed back, telling him something that he didn’t quite understand. He assumed it was the standard “Hi, how are you?” and “I hope the trip was well.” 

Toru spoke to them a bit, holding him back from entering the house properly. They stood in a large square where the shoes were. A step let them into the rest of the home, but they needed to take their shoes off, Ron gathered. “Shoes off,” she told him, confirming his suspicions. He obliged, taking his shoes off with little to no grace, still a bit out of sorts. Sure, he had been to America, but at least he knew the language. This was a totally different country, a different language, different culture. There were so many differences and things he had not even thought about. He was totally out of his element, but he was more than willing to learn about his fiancée’s home.

“What should I do with my bag?” He asked her, motioning to his rolling suitcase that contained a majority of his stuff, the rest falling in his backpack.

“My mom will be cleaning it later, now she wants to show you the home,” Toru explained. She seemed a bit overwhelmed, probably because this was the first time she was bringing him to meet her parents, granted she had not met his either. They were already engaged and he had never met them before. Well, their whole situation was a bit unique and nontraditional, after all. 

Ron stepped into the house and followed Toru’s mom throughout the home. He saw the small kitchenette and the living area that doubled as a check in for guests. They did own a hot spring after all. He was then shown the toilet closet, the shower and bath tub, and the guest room where he would be staying. Toru informed him that she would be staying in her own room for the night. He understood, but he couldn’t deny the disappointment he felt knowing he wouldn’t be able to hold her with him through the night. 

Toru spoke with her parents for a bit before turning to Ron. “My mom and dad want to know if you are hungry,” she explained.

“Oh, yes please,” Ron smiled, looking over to the parents and nodding. 

“They have dinner waiting in the living room,” she then told him, taking him by the hand and bringing him to the living room again, where there was a pot of something on a table. Four chairs were there for them to all sit. Toru’s mother grabbed some bowls, while her father grabbed cups.

“Can I help with anything?” Ron asked.

“Ah, no, it is okay,” Toru assured. “You are the guest.”

Before them was a pot on a hotplate. It looked absolutely delectable and Ron couldn’t stop his mouth from watering against his will.

“Smells delicious,” he told her.

“Do you know it?” she asked. “Sukiyaki,” she said.

“Ah, I don’t know it,” Ron admitted.

“Very good,” she assured him, “We will all share.”

Toru’s father pulled him away from her, leading him to the table to sit. He was given a bowl in front of him and a pair of chopsticks. Toru’s father then began to point at things in the pot with his own pair of chopsticks, looking for Ron’s reaction.

“He wants to know what you would like,” Toru explained.

“I’ll try anything,” Ron blushed, a bit embarrassed at himself for acting so helplessly with the language barrier. 

Toru translated that to her father, who nodded and smiled.

“Food,” the man then said, picking things from the pot and putting it in Ron’s bowl. He then used a ladle to spoon some of the liquid into the bowl as well. “Hot,” he then said, looking to Ron or understanding.

Ron nodded back before looking over to Toru for some sort of guidance. He didn’t know if it was okay for him to eat or anything. Should he wait?

“I will get the rice with my mom,” she told him, leaving to the small kitchen where Toru’s mother was spooning rice into a larger bowl. 

Toru’s father then went to grab a pitcher of what Ron assumed was water, bringing it to the table where he began filling his own bowl. “Eat,” he told Ron, pointing to Ron’s portion with his chopsticks.

Ron didn’t need to be told twice, using the chopsticks he barely had any sort of skill in as he tried (and failed a few times) to eat the steamy food he was given. The first bite of beef had him nearly weeping. It tasted so good and he didn’t understand how he had never tried sukiyaki before. “This is so good,” he told Toru’s father, who listened with a look of confusion.

Toru translated as she came to the table, getting a nod and a smile from her father. “Good,” Toru said in English to her father.

“Good,” he repeated. “Good food.”

“Yes, very good,” Ron said, continuing to eat what was in his bowl as the rest of the family joined.

The meal from then on became Toru’s parents asking Toru something or her translating questions and answers. Ron felt terribly awkward and a bit guilty for not even attempting to prepare before flying over. He didn’t even buy a book on the language and any hopes of understanding were left back in England.

“I’m pretty knackered,” Ron admitted to Toru after they finished eating.

“What is knackered?” she asked. “And you look pretty?”

He felt flushed from the embarrassment. He supposed this was something he should really get used to. Of course Toru didn’t know all of the words that Brits used, hell, he was sure even the Americans he met were confused by some of his vocabulary. “I just mean I’m tired,” he told her. Her English was great, but not perfect. It would improve the longer they were together.

“Ah,” she perked up, “I will take you to your room.” She took his hand and led him through the house and to his room. He felt a bit sad when he remembered that they wouldn’t be sharing, but he understood that they both needed to respect her parents.

“Could you stay with me for a bit before I go to bed?” he asked her.

Her lips were upturned into a smile. “Of course,” she told him, leading him over to the futon on the floor. A small pillow was laying on it, as well as a large blanket that Ron soon discovered was weighted. The pillow appeared to be full of some sort of beads. He looked at it questionably, wondering how it would even be considered a pillow. A pillow should be plush and soft, not as firm and hard as what he was given. He’d never voice these complaints aloud, though. 

He got under the blanket and pulled her down with him, holding her close to him as they lay under the weighted blanket, offending pillow pushed off for now. “I’ve been dreaming of the day I could hold you again,” he told her.

“I wish to share a room with you,” she sighed, “but I also wish to respect my parent’s wishes while we are in their home.”

“Yeah,” he sighed as well, “but soon we will be in England and we’ll be able to sleep together every night.”

She smiled and nodded, looking up from where she was laying and leaning towards his face, pecking his lips with her own. 

Ron smirked and leaned down to return the kiss, putting a little more into it than she had, deepening it when she didn’t pull away. He wanted to explore that beautiful mouth that smiled at him. He pushed past her lips and teeth, wanting more of her. She let out a noise that sounded like that of relief. He wanted so much with her, so much that he couldn’t have right at that moment in time. He felt her arm pull him closer, her hand moving up from his back to run fingers through his red hair. It was still longer than he’d have liked, but she had mentioned how she liked seeing so much red, a hair color that was beyond uncommon for her to see face-to-face. He placed a hand on the side of her hip, not as low as he wanted it and not as high as he dared it to be. 

Toru smiled against his lips, breaking their kiss for a moment. As if reading his mind, she removed her hand from his hair and placed it over his hand on her hip, moving it down to her bum. He stared at her wide eyed, feeling like a nervous teenager all over again. Like it was something so new and foreign to him, never touching a bum in his life and only fantasizing that one day his hands would grace the flesh of the one they call breasts. He felt like a virgin all over again. Toru removed her hand from over his, moving to place it instead on his own bum before resuming their kiss, no questions asked. Ron didn’t let this sudden development hinder him in any way, at least that is what he told himself. Truth be it that he was absolutely certain he was more hesitant in the kiss, his mind more occupied on imploding as he told his fingers to just _ move _ and to grip what was in his palm. Squeeze the sweet _ sweet _ gift that had been bestowed upon him, a man with simple wants and simple needs. This was the ass of the woman he called fiancée, the woman he would be spending the rest of his days with. He squeezed it gently, getting a feel for it in his palm. The clothes encasing it were of no hindrance, for now at least, and were of no issue. He knew that he would become more greedy, want more of her, want to feel more skin. _ Merlin, _ it was so good. He rubbed his hand up and down it, squeezing it gently a bit, perhaps squeezing a bit harder once or twice just to test, and even pinching it once to get a reaction from Toru. A moan surprised both of them and the sound went straight to his dick, which had already come to life as they lay next to each other.

Her cheeks were colored red and she pulled away for a moment. Ron’s hand went still. She smiled and pressed a kiss on his cheek one more time before she got up. “Good night,” she told him, “I will see you in the morning.”

“Erm, yeah,” he returned the smile. “Good night, Toru.”

She slipped out of the room quickly after that, leaving Ron alone to process what had just happened. He wanted more, but he know they should wait. They were in her parent’s house, they should respect their wishes. But _ Merlin _ did he want more. He wanted to touch the other parts of her, he wanted her to touch the other parts of him. He wanted to hold her and just be with her, too. She would become his wife and he was so damn happy for that. So terribly happy.

He loved this woman, he felt. He really did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this story's turn into a lack of Draco/Charlie/Emily content. It just sort of escaped me. I will try to get back on track!


	28. Chapter 28

Ron woke up the next morning realizing that everything he had previously known was completely _ wrong. _ That pillow, that offensive, hard, and oh so _ wonderful _ pillow that he was graced with the ability to lay his head upon for that night was...he loved that pillow. He loved that pillow and he loved that weighted blanket. The only thing he would have loved more was to add Toru to the night in a more permanent measure. He wanted to sleep next to his fiancée last night, tonight, and every night after. Alas, it was not to be, fore he would comply by the wishes of his future mother and father-in-laws. 

Once he had her all to himself, though, he would not let go. He couldn’t wait to hold her against him, kiss her, and lay in their own bed together. For now, though, he would accept that he at least was able to be with her now. He really was happy to meet her parents and to finally see where she called home.

*** 

They were in front of the building that would decide their future. Inside of said building held a meeting place that was arranged for he and Toru to go into together and convince the Japanese and UK embassies that they were, in fact, in love and were wanting to marry for all the right reasons.

Toru gripped his hand in hers. They were both nervous, but fairly confident that they could do this. They knew each other’s birthdays, memorized their former work history, where they went to school, and all sorts of other pieces of information that might be asked of them. At least, all the muggle information that Ron had available.

Ron looked to his future wife and smiled. “We’ve got this, babe,” he told her.

She returned the smile and nodded. “Let’s go so we can finally get married.”

*** 

“They did it!” Arthur called out with a smile, holding the letter they had received earlier from the owl post. The Weasley clan was gathered in the Burrow, or at least all that could or cared to make it. George sat on the couch, Emily in his lap, with Draco and Charlie next to him. Bill and Fleur were there, too, with her baby in Bill’s hands. Rarely was anyone besides the doting dad able to hold the baby girl, Victoire. Percy often joked that he was a baby hog. Percy was standing in the corner of the room, listening to his father read the letter. Harry was there, too, sitting in a chair and excited to hear how his best friend’s engagement was progressing. His wife had told them that she would be unable to come, having an important work event clash with the reading of the letter. Hermione had asked Harry to let her know at work the next day, but he managed to convince her to come. She didn’t hold any ill feelings toward her ex husband anymore and would always be Arthur and Molly’s daughter-in-law. Viktor was there, standing behind his girlfriend as they all listened to Arthur read. There was a small smile on his face as he listened to the news. He had already told Hermione that no matter the past, he didn’t feel like there was anything to worry about between her and Ron. They were divorced and she was with him now.

“Our baby brother’s getting married again,” George said to Charlie with a big fat smile on his face. Having nieces in his life had brought more smiles upon the twin’s face. He laughed more and would eventually admit to Charlie that Emily would be the one to bring him out of the state he had felt trapped in.

“Hopefully this one lasts,” Percy felt himself mutter, instantly feeling a bit guilty when he saw Hermione’s eyes dart to him, holding disappointment for his words.

“I’m glad he’s happy,” she said genuinely, taking Viktor’s hand.

“He doesn’t shut up about her,” Charlie then said, getting an elbow in the ribs from his husband. “What? It’s true, you know it’s true.”

Draco just shook his head and leaned against his giant husband’s chest, smiling when he felt the protective arm come around him.

“When will we get to meet her?” Emily asked. The little girl had been so excited to finally meet the girl her uncle talked nonstop about.

“Soon?” Fleur asked Molly.

“His letter says that they will be returning together, but it doesn’t say when,” Arthur answered.

“He better send another letter with a time and date,” Molly said in a bit of a huff, “and I don’t want to be the one that breaks it to her that her husband is a wizard.”

There was some tension in the room. Everyone was well aware that Ron was marrying a muggle, a muggle that had no idea she would be marrying a wizard. A muggle that had no idea that magic was even real.

*** 

“If he doesn’t tell her before they leave Japan, there’s no way it’ll stay a secret when she gets here,” Draco told Charlie after they put Emily to bed. “I mean look at this place, Charlie,” Draco waved his arms around, noting the floating lights they had hexed and the dishes that they had managed to magic their way into washing themselves. “She’s going to figure out either way and I’d rather her already know by the time she gets here.”

“I’ll write to him,” Charlie sighed. They had been given instructions and an address to Ron’s fiancée’s home in Japan in case he needed they reach him. 

Draco let out a sigh, as well. “This has really become a clusterfuck.”

“You’re telling me, babe,” Charlie said, penning out his letter to his foolish baby brother. 

“I’m stressed,” Draco admitted.

Charlie scoffed before chuckling. “Darling, I think we’re all stressed out from this engagement.” 

“Was our engagement this stressful?” he asked as his husband sat at the dining room table. Coming up behind him, he lazily wrapped his arms around Charlie’s shoulders.

“I remember being mostly excited,” Charlie told him as he leaned his head over to touch his husband’s arm. “I was about to give up the bachelor lifestyle in order to marry a beautiful and strong man.”

“Charmer,” Draco snickered, leaning to kiss his husband. “I’m sure you were stressed out at giving up the single life to be roped down to me.”

“No,” Charlie cooed, kissing Draco again. “Darling, I think this letter can wait,” he then said, pulling on his husband’s arm to encourage him to move in front of him.

“I’m not falling for it,” Draco stood his ground, removing himself from Charlie’s grasp and crossing his arms. “Finish that letter and send it off and then I’ll consider you’re offer.”

“Fine,” Charlie conceded, looking back to the paper and quill. “Ron, tell her about you’re magic so I can fuck my husband,” he said as he wrote, signing his name and then stamping it sealed.

“Charlie, you didn’t,” Draco looked scandalized as he watched Charlie place a protection charm on the letter before writing down the address on the front and moving to the window where one of their owls were already waiting.

“I didn’t what?” he asked innocently as he held the letter up to the owl to take, “Do what my loving and wonderful husband asked of me?” he smiled as the owl flew away. “So that I could love on him properly after sending that urgent letter?” He moved towards Draco, who still stood with his arms crossed.

“Char,” Draco said, watching his husband come closer to him.

“Draco,” his husband responded.

“Perhaps I don’t want to have sex,” Draco told him.

“That’s fine,” Charlie said, side stepping him and walking into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

“What? That’s all?” Draco asked confused, watching his husband suspiciously.

“What do you mean ‘that’s all?’”

“You’re not going to try to seduce me?” Draco asked. “Not going to act all cute and then lay it on real thick?”

“You think I’m cute?” Charlie asked, as if he didn’t already know.

“Shut up, I didn’t mean it,” Draco huffed, looking away from his ridiculously adorable giant husband. He was trying to stay strong and resist Charlie, knowing full well he was planning something. He was always planning something. They hadn’t been having much sex and he knew that Charlie had been busy with work on the reserve, coming home to them with news of the dragon that had been sick or stories of the new hatchlings for he and Emily to gush over. He’d spend as much time as he could with Emily till she had to go to bed and then would pass out after his shower. 

“You think I’m cute!” Charlie squealed.

“I said nothing of the sort,” Draco replied, denying anything Charlie said. There was a part of him that loved denying his husband, only for his husband to get whatever Draco was fully willing to give him. He knew they both enjoyed the chase.

Charlie sauntered up to his husband, seeing the small smile that Draco was fighting off. “You like me,” Charlie sung to him in a sweet voice that was still mocking. “You like me so much, you just don’t want me to know.”

Draco rolled his eyes at his husband, turning away from him.

“I think you want me to fight you on this,” he said, wrapping his arms around his shorter and smaller lover. He apparated them into their bedroom, startling Draco.

“Charlie,” he muttered, looking around to gather himself from the sudden movement. 

“It’s alright, love,” Charlie told him, cradling the man to his big chest, “I’ve got you.”

Draco let himself enjoy the touch.

“Look at my fiery dragon now,” Charlie chuckled. “Not so grumpy anymore, are you?”

Draco scoffed, weakly hitting his fist against Charlie’s strong chest. “Shut up,” he said softly, mostly to himself, knowing Charlie probably heard him, but not caring. This was really what he wanted. He just wanted Charlie to work for it.

Charlie moved his hand to Draco’s back, slowly rubbing small circles into it, letting the man relax into his touch. It didn’t take long before he had Draco leaning against him, nuzzling into his chest, enjoying the feeling of his back being rubbed. 

“You like that, my fiery little dragon?” Charlie asked him softly.

Draco wanted to melt against his husband, losing all the will to fight against it. He said nothing, but his hum of appreciation gave him away.

Charlie smiled at the sound, continuing to rub and massage Draco’s back. “Let me take care of you, my dragon,” Charlie purred into his ear. “It’s my job to take care of dragons, after all,” he continued, moving Draco over to the bed to where the blond could lay down, belly to the mattress. Charlie managed to take off Draco’s shirt with some ease, exposing the pale and slender back underneath. “So beautiful,” he praised, leaning down to kiss each shoulder blade that protruded out. He then straddled his husband’s lower back. _ “Accio oil,” _ he commanded, wand in hand after he lifted it from his pocket. He poured a generous amount in his hands after tossing his wand aside, rubbing his hands together to warm it with his own body heat. He then began to rub Draco’s back some more, finding that the blond had a few knots in some areas. “You’re so tense, love,” he said.

“There’s been a lot going on,” Draco tried, enjoying how his husband’s hands touched and worked him.

“I should have pampered you sooner,” Charlie smirked as he pushed in a little harder in one spot, getting a gasp from Draco.

“Charlie!” he gasped, not knowing what came over him from the sudden pressure. There was a stirring in his gut.

“Too hard?” Charlie asked then, worried he may have pushed down too hard.

“No, it just surprised me is all,” Draco admitted.

Charlie hesitated for a brief moment before moving back to what he was doing. “If it feels wrong, let me know,” he told him.

“I will,” Draco assured.

“And let me know if it feels good,” Charlie added, squeezing Draco’s shoulders to release some of the tension built up in them.

Draco chuckled in reply before letting out a deep and relaxed breath, letting Charlie know he was enjoying what he was doing.

The noise sent heat straight to Charlie’s nether regions and he couldn’t stop the sudden hardness making itself known. He rose up a little from Draco’s back and was surprised to find Draco arching his back a bit and lifting his bottom half to meet Charlie’s growing erection.

Draco turned to look at Charlie, a sexy smile on his face as he crawled forward to get his butt under Charlie.

To Charlie’s slight amusement, but mostly satisfaction, Draco arched again, pushing his butt up to rub against Charlie’s still clothed dick. “I think we have too many clothes still on,” Charlie told him, taking Draco’s hips in each hand and pulling at them to rub his erection onto Draco’s ass easier.

“There is no patience with you,” Draco simply said, but the way he said it gave away how affected he was.

Charlie moved one of his hands from Draco’s hip to the front of his pants, where he felt just how affected the blond actually was. “We could stand to lose a few layers, I think,” he told his stubborn lover.

Draco didn’t reply verbally, only pushed upwards harder against Charlie’s erection, causing Charlie’s hand to return to Draco’s hip, rutting against him harder. 

“Fuck,” Charlie breathed out, needing more friction, needing more of Draco’s skin against his own. He needed more of Draco soon. He returned to the front of Draco’s pants, messing with the button until he was able to unhook it, grateful that his husband wasn’t wearing a belt. The zipper was easier than the button that was nearly as stubborn as the man under him. With those two out of the way, he was able to pull down Draco’s pants and boxers, exposing the pale bottom that was hidden beneath. 

“Don’t stop,” Draco told him, obviously very affected now, and oh so needy sounding.

Charlie nodded in response, not thinking about how Draco couldn’t see it. He rubbed his clothed erection against Draco’s exposed bum, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Pushing down against Draco’s entire back, covering the smaller blond with his own large and muscled body, he ground against him, desperately seeking relief, but finding none. 

“Char,” Draco breathed out heavily.

Charlie couldn’t take it anymore. He sat up once again, this time removing his own under garment, not even caring that his shirt was still on. He just needed to feel his dick against Draco.

Draco tried to turn around to meet Charlie, but was stopped when Charlie lifted him back up to meet him by grabbing his hips again, grinding against his ass.

“Fuck babe,” Charlie gasped, watching his hard member rub in between the two plump cheeks his husband hid under his clothes. “You’re so fucking sexy.”

Draco cooed at that, arching like a cat that lived off praise. “You like that my ass can take your thick cock?” Draco asked.

“Oh yeah,” Charlie groaned, biting his lip.

“You wanna see how long you can last with me on top of you, bouncing on your dick like I’m riding a horse?”

“Yeah,” Charlie almost pleaded, “yeah, I wanna see that real bad.”

“Then let me get up and ride you,” Draco told him, no longer wanting to play hard to get. He was far too horny for that now.

Charlie obliged to his husband’s request earnestly, more than ready to watch and feel just what Draco suggested.

As always, it was bliss to feel Draco surround him. The feeling, the friction, is was all so good, so overwhelming. Watching as his husband rode him like he did; bouncing up and down, moving back and forth. It was all so captivating, so sexy. Charlie couldn’t stop his moans and pants as Draco carried on, making his own delicious sounds as he moved.

“I love you, I love you, oh Merlin, I love you so much,” Charlie panted.

“Ch-Char,” Draco moaned out, moving a bit faster, a bit rougher, a bit faltering, before slowly stopping and just panting there.

“Tired?” Charlie asked, knowing his husband’s legs would get tired soon enough.

Draco only nodded, too tired to voice the truth; that his legs were starting to get too heavy.

Charlie understood. He flipped them over and pleasured his lovely lover with as much as he could give, loving how Draco’s eyes closed when he got close. His fiery dragon, taken care of by the dragon keeper. 

“Charlie,” Draco moaned out, encouraging his husband to go harder, faster. “Yes, yes!”

Charlie felt it coming upon him quickly, far too quickly than he wanted. He wanted this to last all night, perhaps even forever if he was being greedy. He wanted to make love to Draco for all of eternity, to forget all their stresses and problems and just to fuck each other silly. It was upon them and before Charlie could even warn his soon to be blessed lover, he had cum, Draco following suit shortly after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really in love with this chapter. Actually, I got tired writing the last half and ended up finishing it the next day. 
> 
> But, I really want to finish this soon. Hopefully less than 5 chapters, but I'm not sure how it'll go...


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the chapters have been so short lately. I've been feeling pretty unmotivated. I'll be getting my wisdom teeth removed in a few days and will be paying out of pocket (American, no insurance) and am super nervous about it. It's like you don't need the insurance when you have it and suddenly it's gone when you do.
> 
> Most of this chapter is sexy times.

Ron received the letter and held it with a stern look, reading over the words and finding himself annoyed with the final few sentences. Of course his family would be anxious about him marrying a muggle who still had no idea she was marrying into magic. Of course they would be anxious about her potentially reacting badly. Charlie, however, did not need to share that Draco was withholding sex. For real. That was too much information.

“What does it say?” Toru asked, standing in the room in her cute pale pink button up shirt and tan skirt.

Ron sighed. “It’s from my brother,” he told her. It was coming down to the wire and he really needed to talk to her. “Darling,” he began.

“Yes?” she asked, looking worried. “Did something happen? Is your family alright?”

Of course she was worried for his family after his less than enthused reaction to reading the letter. Toru was seriously a wonderful girlfriend, fiancée, and person. “It’s nothing like what you’re probably thinking,” he told her, “they are all fine.”

She smiled at that. “Then what is on your mind?” she asked, walking over to hug him. Being much shorter than her tall red headed fiancé, Toru simply leaned her head against his chest in an attempt to comfort any stress Ron was feeling.

“There are some things about my family that I need to talk to you about,” he told her, wrapping his arms around her tinier frame. He had his wand in his luggage and could get to it pretty quickly if she reacted badly. A quick _ Obliviate _ and all would be okay...right? “Some things that you really need to know before we leave Japan.”

They were in his room at her parent’s house. She had already packed everything and they had planned on leaving officially at the end of the week, which was only a few more days.

“Anything that your family is going through or does, just know that I love you and I still will be your wife,” she smiled, looking up at him with the kindest eyes. “You as my husband, you will ever get rid of me,” she laughed and it brought a smile to Ron’s face at her pure sincerity. 

“Even if we’re different than you?” he asked.

“You are different than me, but that is okay. I still love you.”

“Toru,” he opened his mouth to continue, but she brought a finger to his lips, stopping him from continuing. 

“I cannot wait to meet my new family, different or not.”

Feeling a bit sheepish, Ron smiled. He knew he wasn’t in the clear yet. She still had no idea, but for now...he wasn’t going to let himself worry.

Ron leaned close to her and kissed her, drowning out any voice in his head that was screaming at him to tell her _ now now now! _ Instead, he focused on her lips and her body and how she made him feel. Merlin, he wanted her now. He wanted her back in England with him. He wanted to start his life with her as his wife.

Toru surprised him when she rubbed against his erection, but he didn’t dare break the kiss. Her dad was cleaning the hot spring while her mom was out running errands. They were practically alone. 

He put both hands onto her ass and picked her up quite easily, feeling her legs quickly wrap around his torso. There was a desk in the room, relatively bare on top, perfect to place her on so he could ravish her easily without worrying about her moving much. 

Toru leaned her head to the side, giving him access to her neck. “Ron,” she whispered, sounding out of breath, “I do not want a mark.”

He understood. Her parents would probably not like that. Instead, he looked to her button up shirt and began unbuttoning the first few buttons to expose her chest. Her collar bone looked so inviting as he pushed aside a bra strap, kissing the jutting bone. 

She let out a breathy moan, sounding like she was attempting to stifle it as much as she could. Toru then began unbuttoning the rest of her shirt, revealing an attractive abdomen and the rest of her pink bra.

“Can I take it off?” Ron asked, receiving a nod from his fiancée. 

“Please,” she told him when he failed to move.

The verbal confirmation was what he wanted, moving his hands behind her to unclasp the undergarment that was keeping him from her tits. Removing the bra then became more than he expected, realizing he still had the straps on her arms. 

She giggled at his frustration with it and began to remove her shirt, taking the bra off completely. 

Ron then took the shirt and began to put it back on her.

“What?” she asked.

“It’s sexy with you still wearing it open,” Ron told her, trying to look her in the eye before giving all his attention to her newly revealed breasts.

She nodded then, putting her arms back in the holes and pulling it back on, buttons still completely undone, breasts exposed.

Ron wasted no time giving them his attention, latching on to them with his mouth, licking and sucking on the nipples, knowing it would pleasure to his love.

Her gasp of surprise at the sudden stimulation was nearly instantaneous and louder than both of them expected. Ron stopped at the sound, frozen with him lips against her skin and his tongue still on her nipple.

She said some words that Ron did not understand before saying “Do not stop.” He didn’t have to be told twice after that. Her hands went to the back of his head, encouraging him to suck, lick, and pleasure her more. While his mouth was on one tit, his hand was on the other, flicking his thumb across the hardened nub and palming it, enjoying how it felt and the noises it drew from his fiancée. His other hand was on her knee, mimicking the actions his hand was performing on her breast.

It wasn’t long before one of Toru’s hands left his head and move to his hand on her knee, moving it up her thigh and towards a more pleasurable part of her body than just the knee. Ron’s lust filled brain got the hint as he gripped her thigh a few times, enjoying how it felt and pleased himself when she tried to move her legs apart further. The skirt was not giving her much give, though.

“R-Ron,” she mewled, her tits thoroughly stimulated from his hand and tongue, “please more,” she begged.

He didn’t have a condom nor did he risk telling her he had magic while they were in this state. He removed his mouth from her breast, claiming her lips as both hands moved down to hike her skirt up, giving her more room to spread her legs. “I don’t have a condom,” he whispered in her ear, “so my fingers will have to do.”

“Please yes,” she told him, seeking out his lips again. 

He kissed her deeply while a finger pushed her panty aside, seeking out the warmth and wetness behind its cloth. She moaned into the kiss as he rubbed up and down her folds before pushing forward inside her. Her arms were wrapped around him, not letting him go as he moved the finger inside and out of her, getting her used to the feeling before adding another. He pushed the tip of the second finger in, but waited for confirmation before pushing in further. He didn’t want to hurt her.

“Are you still okay with this?” he asked her, breaking the kiss.

She nodded. “Do not stop,” she told him, cheeks red and eyes dilated. 

He nodded and moved the finger in further, watching her face as he did. Her eyes closed and her breathing sped up a bit more. He loved seeing her this way. She was so beautiful. 

Two fingers became three and she gripped onto his back tighten, unable to stop herself from vocalizing her pleasure as she moaned into his shoulder to quite herself a bit more. Eventually something had to give and Toru’s walls gripped tight around Ron’s fingers. She had a death grip on his shirt, unwilling to let go. Her legs trembled heavily and her slick natural juices had leaked onto the desk under her. She was completely spent as Ron slowed his thrusts before pulling out of her overly sensitive ruby.

He kissed her cheek and nuzzled into her neck, now warm and sweaty. “You’re so beautiful,” he told her as her hands loosened their grip on his shirt, head still leaning against him.

“I love you,” she told him, voice muffled, but still clear.

“I love you, too,” he told her. He still had an erection, but he willed it to calm itself, knowing there would be nothing else for it. He wouldn’t ask her to touch him, especially after he had made her feel so good. He was more than happy to please and pleasure her and expected nothing in return. Besides, he had plenty of time with her for that, the rest of his life, if everything worked out. “We should clean up,” he told her, feeling her nod against him. He smiled, unable to stop it. He wrapped the arm he didn’t use to finger her around her back, pulling her more into a hug without dirtying her nice shirt.

*** 

He fucked up. He knew he fucked up.

Ron and Toru were getting on the plane. Toru still had no idea. Ron wasn’t going to tell her while they were on their way to England. To his _ magical family _ because they were all _ wizards and witches _ which was not known to _ muggles. _

He was so fucking fucked.

Everyone was going to be so pissed.

*** 

Charlie was at the airport with Draco and Emily in tow. Their little girl would not stand to be left out of picking up her uncle and his fiancée up from the airport.

Draco had come along because he couldn’t deny the curiosity about the woman that would be living with them for the next 90 days, perhaps even longer all depending. He really didn’t mind it. In fact, he liked having a full household. He understood Molly Weasley more in that sense. No wonder she had so many children and wanted them to visit so often. There was something warm about it.

“Emily, don’t forget what we talked about,” Charlie told their daughter before they had walked further into the building.

“I know,” she smiled a toothy grin. “You said not to talk about anything about the family until you tell me it is okay.”

“That’s right,” Charlie smiled, leaning down to kiss the top of her head, not having to lean down as much as he used to.

He and Draco had not taken notice of her sudden grown spurt until George had pointed it out one day.

“We are going to need to buy you some new clothes soon, darling,” Draco told her with a smile. The two of them loved to go shopping together, something that Charlie was more than happy to let them have. If it meant he didn’t have to shop, he was all for it.

As they walked to the part of the airport where there were to be pickups and arrivals, Emily one of their hands in each of hers, chattering on and on about how excited she was and what she wanted to do with her new aunt. 

Charlie couldn’t believe how excited she was, almost as if Charlie or Draco were the one to remarry, not Emily’s uncle.

The rest of the Weasleys had agreed to wait to meet her, not wanting to overwhelm the poor girl. After all, she was sure to have some culture shock. There had been no word on how Ron’s confession went, just a time and date on when to pick them up at Heathrow. 

Watching as people began to come in from the doors, Draco and Charlie searched for the familiar mop of red hair. When they saw nothing, they were a bit concerned that he had missed a connecting flight at some point.

“There!” Emily suddenly shouted, pointing towards what was certainly a bemused Ron Weasley, holding the hand of a small Asian woman who looked very excited to be there. “Uncle Ron,” she then began waving.

He caught them in his sight and began leading the woman that was assuredly his fiancée, Toru, over to the three.

Draco and Charlie had no idea that she still didn’t know the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit Ron, tell her your secret already.
> 
> I'll try to write more soon, but I'm not sure what state the oral surgury will leave me in and for how long (shouldn't be but a few days). Hopefully I'll be more motivated, too. I'm supposed to go back to work soon, which had helped me a lot before. I'll try to get the chapters at a better and longer length. 
> 
> Thank you all for keeping with me in this story.


	30. Chapter 30

Ron watched as Toru watched the scenery pass by them inside of the train. She was fascinated by everything around her and he thought it was absolutely adorable. His brother had not asked nor had he said anything about or related to them being wizards. Draco had stayed quiet, as well as their daughter, Emily, who was practically vibrating beside the blond. He suspected Emily would join them, it was the weekend after all.

“Uncle Ron, what did you eat there?” Emily asked suddenly after fighting off the urge to ask a million questions.

“I ate Japanese food,” he told her, “like rice and fish.”

“Fish is Japanese?” Emily asked, looking surprised. “Daddy, did we eat Japanese food the other night?” she asked Charlie. It surprised Ron, he hadn’t really heard her call either of the two dad or father.

“Erm, no darling,” Charlie told her. “Not all fish is Japanese food. We had fish and chips,” he clarified for Ron and the now attentive Toru beside him. “We had a British meal.”

“What is Japanese fish?” Emily then asked, beaming brightly at Toru.

“Sushi,” she told her one of the more common and well known fish meals, “It is a meal with fish, rice, and other ingredients wrapped together. Do you know it?” 

Draco nodded, while Charlie and Emily looked a bit perplexed. “Darling, surely,” Draco looked at his husband.

“I’ve heard of it,” he defended, “I’m just not sure I’ve ever seen it.”

Toru got a bit excited. “I can make it,” she told them.

Ron smiled, glad that his fiancée was getting excited and that things seemed to be going well so far with his brother and brother-in-law. He didn’t really worry about Emily, he knew she would be accepting of Toru. The girl was very excited about him going to get her and bring her back.

*** 

The group ended up stopping at a station before returning to The Fireseed in order to feed Ron and Toru. It was just a simple pub that Charlie and Draco would occasionally frequent when they dined at a muggle business or something a little more fancy, as Charlie liked to call the places that Draco would sometimes insist they go to on a date. Actually, Charlie liked to refer to Draco’s suggestions as “overpriced penguin conventions,” making fun of some of the patrons that showed up in suits and ties. Draco would always tried hide his laugh, which never worked, but Charlie loved seeing his husband laugh at one of his jokes, no matter how cheesy they were.

Toru asked Ron what nearly every piece of food on the menu was, still not completely comfortable with reading English words, especially foods, outside of their hiragana and katakana format she was accustomed to. She had learned more English since her trip to America, much to Ron’s surprise. He was very proud of her. She insisted that she would learn more English in order to have an easier time coming to Britain. Ron honestly thought it was cute when she would ask him to explain things for her, but he understood she wanted to learn more for herself.

Their meal was pretty normal, as well. Draco and Charlie asked Ron about his time there and what Toru wanted to see in the city, if anything at all. Emily asked Toru what her favorite foods were and if she liked animals.

Toru ordered a shepherd’s pie, as did Emily, much to the little girl’s delight. Toru was addicted by the second bite and managed to eat the whole plate, which was quite a lot. She then asked Ron what if he knew how to make it because she wanted to learn how to cook it. Ron admitted that he was a disaster in the kitchen, but his mother knew.

“I’m sure mum would love to teach you,” Charlie told her. “She loves cooking. Draco takes lessons with her from time to time,” he looked over to his husband, beaming with joy. Draco had managed to become quite the competent cook at their home. The Weasley-Malfoy household no longer had to worry about burnt or undercooked food.

Draco nodded. “I’m sure Molly would be over the moon,” he chuckled, imagining the red haired head of the family as she taught her new future daughter-in-law the ways of British cuisine. “I can go with you, if you’d like. Ron’s rubbish in the kitchen, so he’ll be of no help.”

Ron frowned, but knew it to be true.

Toru just giggled and kissed Ron on the cheek. “I will make sure to keep him well fed with my cooking. I want to learn all his favorites.”

“Edible,” Charlie scoffed, getting a laugh out of Draco and Emily. “You won’t have to worry much there.”

Ron cracked a grin, unable to hide his amusement.

Toru seemed a bit lost, be it by the joke or simply having to catch up by deciphering the words through their accents, since Charlie’s was a bit heavier than Draco’s and even Ron’s.

“I’ll be happy with anything you make,” Ron told her.

She smiled and blushed a bit. “But still, I want to learn British cooking.”

“Perhaps there is someone teaching classes in the city?” Charlie then suggested. “Mum might be a little too intensive, if you know what I mean,” he added, thinking of how strong Molly would be against Toru. They all knew how much of a big personality their mum was.

“Yeah,” Ron agreed, picturing his mother making judgments against Toru based on her cooking and lack of common British knowledge. There was also Toru not knowing about magic yet that was still a big issue. An elephant in the room, if you will. One that Ron knew Draco and Charlie were dying to get to the bottom of.

“So Toru, tell me, what is it about my brother that caused him to win you over?” Charlie asked, sipping at a cup of tea while Emily drew on a child’s menu, completely engrossed and ignoring the adults.

Toru blushed at being put on the spot, but smiled. “He is very charming,” she told them. “He was always wanting to help me through the trip and we got to see a lot of things together. He is also funny, he makes me laugh.”

Draco nodded, listening intently. 

Ron smiled at Toru’s words, taking her hand.

“Cute,” Charlie replied. 

“You’re brother is a very wonderful man,” Toru continued. “I am lucky to have met him and to be with him.”

“So,” another sip of tea, “what all do you know about Ron’s job?”

“Charlie,” Ron warned softly. He didn’t like doing this in such a public place, a _ muggle _ place of all places.

“What?” Charlie asked innocently. “Does she know what a workaholic you are? Not anywhere near Percy’s standards, of course, but sometimes work must follow you home.” He eyed his brother at that, fishing for information on how much Toru actually knew about the man she was about to marry. To say her life was about to change was an understatement.

“Charlie, why don’t we continue this another time,” Draco interjected. “I’m sure the two of them are exhausted from all the flying they’ve done. They have traveled a long way.”

Charlie smiled, nodding to his husband. “You’re right, my love. Where are my manners?”

Toru noticed that Charlie’s accent seemed to be more clear when he was asking her questions. It was a curious thing, but she thought nothing of it, although Ron seemed to be tense from them. Perhaps he was just being protective. She was getting sleepy all of a sudden. She leaned her head against Ron’s shoulder. “I suddenly got very tired,” she told him. 

“Perhaps jet lag,” Draco suggested.

Charlie stood up and pulled out his wallet. “I’ll pay and then we can get back home.”

Draco nodded, taking the carry-on bag that Toru had brought. He had insisted on arranging a delivery service take all her things to the home instead of having them lug them all the way from the airport in the city to the country side, all via train. Draco did not want to drive a car, he wasn’t that completely gone that he relied on such muggle transport. A train was one thing, a car was another.

*** 

The rest of the train ride was fairly silent with Emily getting a bit tired, as well. Toru fell asleep on the ride, leaning against Ron as she did. Ron shook her gently awake when they arrived at their stop. The walk to the Fireseed wasn’t that bad, if not a bit long. It was always like that, though, although Toru was new to it. It was getting dark, but Toru still enjoyed seeing the village that they lived outside of. It was small and cute, but so different to her.

The outside looked like a cottage. She loved the look, but had only seen homes like this on television and in the movies. American and European movies were really cool, always so interesting. She loved seeing Western architecture, just as she had seen on her trip to Texas, where she met Ron and her whole life changed. Now look at her, moving to England to be with the man of her dreams. She was so excited. Her life in the rural area she had grown up in with her parents had been small, too, but she knew that Ron planned on moving them closer to the city when they married. She would make the best of the small village life here with her new family. She wanted to get to know them better and for them to get to know her, as well.

When she walked inside, she swore it was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. There was a huge fire place in the living area, a large kitchen and a dining room that could fit at least eight people. Her parents would be floored if they saw where she would be living for the next few months. They would love it, she thought. 

“Your home is lovely,” she told Charlie, the older brother of her fiancé.

“Thanks,” he smiled. “I’ll show you where Ron’s room is, where you will be staying,” he told her while Ron was putting Emily to bed at her request with Draco. He led her to a room that contained a large bed, a wardrobe, as well as a built in closet, and a chest at the foot of the bed. “Um, Toru,” Charlie rubbed the back of his neck. He looked nervous. “Has Ron talked to you about his job and stuff?” he asked her, “About his family?”

“Um, a little bit,” she said, not sure why he was nervous about that. “She said he worked for the government, but nothing so fancy as a politician or anything.”

“Ah, I see,” he smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. It was like he wasn’t exactly satisfied with the answer.

“Should there be something I should know?” she asked, beginning to feel concerned.

“Yeah, actually,” he said. He had been speaking very clearly, his accent almost as polished as Draco’s was. She wasn’t sure if he was something he could turn on and off, perhaps he just really wanted to make sure that she understood what he was saying to her. “Our family and the community we are a part of, we’re not like the people that you may know,” he began.

“Charlie,” a warning came from behind them. It was Draco. “Ron’s reading Emily a story and this is something that he should be telling her,” he looked at his husband sternly. He sighed, “Obviously we can’t rely on him, though.”

Toru was worried, she wasn’t sure what they were talking about. “What are you talking about?” she asked Charlie before looking over to Draco, looking for _ anything _ that would indicate what they were talking about.

Draco let out a sigh. “Toru, you’re a lovely girl and we are really happy that you are going to be a part of the family,” he said with a smile that looked a little forced. “I’m sure there is a lot here that is overwhelming for you right now. You just moved to another country, after all, with a whole new language and culture to learn about. You are very brave to be doing all of this,” he looked over, seeing Ron walk out of Emily’s room quietly, shutting the door as he left. “We need you to continue that as Ron has some things that he needs to tell you about regarding the family.”

“Are you kidding me?” Ron whispered, looking furious when he realized what was happening. 

“She needs to know,” Charlie stepped in between his brother and husband.

“What are you talking about?” Toru asked softly, not loud enough for the three men to hear.

“We told you to tell her before she even got here,” Draco then said. “We wrote to you, too.”

“I know,” Ron growled at the blond, shocking Toru a bit.

“What were you thinking?” Charlie asked.

“I love her,” Ron replied, still looking frustrated. 

“Ron-san?” she asked, looking at her fiancé for answers.

“Toru,” he let out a breath.

“Tell her or I will,” Charlie then said.

“Charlie, stop,” Draco cut in.

Charlie looked at his husband in a bit of shock. “She needs to know,” he said.

“Not from us,” Draco looked at him with his arms crossed before looking over at Ron. “Tonight Ron,” he said, looking over to Toru a bit apologetically before grabbing Charlie by the arm and leading him to what she assumed to be their bedroom.

She looked over at Ron, who was still staring where they had disappeared to.

“Ron?” she asked, dropping the honorific as she had been trying to adjust to. It wasn’t something done in the English language often, if at all.

“Toru,” he said, taking her hand and leading her to the bedroom, “there is something I need to talk to you about.”

*** 

“Draco, what the hell?” Charlie looked at his husband in disbelief.

“Don’t you ‘what’ me,” Draco replied, looking not far from pissed off t his husband, who most likely felt the same. “What you were doing was uncalled for.”

“Uncalled for?” he shouted. “How is telling her the truth uncalled for?” 

“It’s not our place,” Draco argued, “it should be your brother that should be telling her this, not some giant ginger that she can barely understand.”

“Hey, my accent isn’t that strong,” he argued back.

“It is when English isn’t your first language,” Draco replied. “You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed that she obviously can’t understand everything you say.”

Charlie eyed his husband. “Why is that even important?” he asked, growing quiet.

“It’s not,” Draco responded softly, realizing he hit a nerve.

“Can you understand everything I say?” he asked, “or is it just that my accent matches my family’s reputation amongst pure bloods?”

“You know that’s not the case,” Draco tried, panic in his eyes.

Charlie opened his mouth before closing it. He shook his head before putting his hands over his face, shaking his head once more. “I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, muffled by his the palms of his hands over his mouth. “I’m sorry,” he said again once he dropped them. Draco’s eyes were still their normal color, which made Charlie realize that he really was sorry, it wasn’t imposed on him. “I’m sorry,” he repeated again, moving closer to Draco.

“Charlie, what’s wrong?” Draco asked, allowing his husband to embrace him, knowing that pulling away would just make things worse. The air was still tense and Draco wasn’t really sure what or why this was suddenly happening.

“Just stressed,” Charlie replied almost instantly, petting the back of Draco’s head.

“Are you sure that’s it?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Charlie insisted, “yeah, I’m just stressed. That’s all.”

“Would you tell me if it was anything else?”

He paused. 

Draco knew he was lying to him.

Charlie gulped and Draco could hear it. “I’m fine, love,” he said again. “I just want my family to be happy. I want you and Emily to be happy.”

“Charlie, what’s wrong? What happened?” Draco was nervous, scared even. Charlie didn’t ever act this way, expect maybe when he brought Emily home. Even then, it wasn’t like this.

Charlie shook his head again. “Can we talk about this after this whole muggle thing blows over?” 

“Of course,” Draco said softly, unsure how else to respond. He wanted to know, but pushing his husband for more answers could cause more damage. “I love you, Charlie,” Draco said, listening to Charlie’s heart beat rapidly from under his chest, beating against his chest like a drum against Draco’s ear.

“I love you, too, Draco,” he responded, holding Draco closer. “I just want all this to be over. I want everything to just calm down. I want to be able to just spend some time with my husband and daughter, and even my new sister-in-law and brother without having to worry about anything.”

“Has work been harder?” Draco asked, trying to get at least a few answers out of Charlie.

“It’s not work,” Charlie replied, “the dragons are fine and the reserve is fine.”

Draco pulled away looking Charlie in the eyes. “Talk to me when you’re ready, okay?” he asked, feeling that anything more would just make things worse.

Charlie nodded, smiling a little before letting it fall, as if the action was too heavy. “I will,” he assured him.

“Maybe we should go to bed early,” he suggested. 

“What about the luggage?” Charlie asked.

“Let Ron get it,” Draco responded with a peck to Charlie’s cheek, “it’s his fiancée, after all.”

Charlie nodded, kissing Draco in turn on the lips. “Yeah, I’d like to go to bed early.”

“We can cuddle,” Draco smiled.

“That sounds wonderful,” Charlie said, letting out a long breath before he said so, as if weight had suddenly lifted from him. Perhaps it had, even if it was just a little bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a tiny bit, hasn't it. It's been a little difficult finding the motivation to write. I also started back at work and it's been an adjustment. Hopefully things begin to run smoother now that I am able to get out of the house and do something again, even if it is just working. I also got my wsidom teeth removed. Man, it's been painful. 
> 
> Anyways, I am working on ending this story, but things ust keep happening. Dammit Ron, just tell Toru already! And what's up with Charlie? Well, that's all to come soon. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	31. Chapter 31

“Emily’s out with Ron and Toru,” Draco announced upon hearing Charlie floo in from work. He had only had to go in a few hours that morning.

“She’s left us already, has she?” Charlie asked, looking for his husband, who it turns out was in the dining room, reading The Daily Prophet. “Have you been here alone all day?”

“Not all day,” Draco replied. It had been his day off. “Ron took them out around 9.”

“She’s taking it quite well,” Charlie smiled.

“I agree,” Draco muttered, reading some article about a synthetic material to be introduced into testing for potions ingredients. “Darling, just imagine how accessible the more hard to come by ingredients would be if the trials for this come through,” he said with a smile. “There are so many possibilities. Who knows, maybe Emily will be using these when she enrolls in Hogwarts.”

“Yes, that would be lovely,” Charlie sighed, “but Draco, has Toru mentioned anything? Is she truly taking things in stride?”

“I don’t know,” Draco replied, placing the paper down and turning towards his husband. “I really don’t.”

Charlie was fidgeting now.

“Why are you so nervous?” he asked.

“I don’t know why you’re not,” he replied.

“Charlie,” Draco stood up, walking towards his husband. 

“I’m just worried, okay. This whole thing is risky.”

“There are plenty of muggles that find out about magic and you don’t read about the entire magical society falling apart,” Draco smirked.

“It’s not,” Charlie sighed, “I’m not worried about _ all of magical society,” _ he continued, “I’m worried about you!”

Draco paused, eying Charlie attentively. “Charlie, is this about last night?”

“Yes,” Charlie whispered. 

“You know you can talk to me.” It was Draco’s turn to fidget now.

“I will,” he replied, “I promise. I’m just not ready.”

“Am I...in danger?” he asked feeling the pressure of Charlie’s worry.

“No,” he was quick to reply, “You’re not.” He hesitated a bit. “I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

Draco seemed to deflate. “You are making me worried.”

Charlie pulled his husband close, kissing his forehead.

Draco responded by wrapping his arms around Charlie’s waist. “Charlie, do you remember our first dance?”

“At our wedding,” Charlie smiled.

“Yes,” Draco returned the smile. “I think about that dance from time to time.”

“You act like that was decades ago,” Charlie snickered light heartedly.

“Sometimes it feels that way,” Draco said with a slight blush. “I feel like I’ve loved you for far longer than I have.”

Charlie caressed Draco’s cheek sweetly.

“Also feels like we haven’t danced together in decades,” he smirked, waving his wand at the record player, turning it on to play whatever record had been placed. 

The piece began and Charlie placed his hands in the correct places on Draco’s body for the blond to lead, not being a great dancer himself. “And what is this lovely song that you so smoothly caught me into dancing to?” he asked with a soft smile as he looked down at the blond in his arms.

_ “Für Elise,” _ Draco responded, leading Charlie into a slow and easy dance.

“Beethoven?” Charlie asked.

“I’m surprised you know it,” Draco smiled, kissing the corner of Charlie’s mouth briefly.

“I’m not completely ignorant,” Charlie chuckled, pulling Draco closer as they continued to sway together.

Draco scoffed, but his face never changed from the loving one that was fixated on the freckled red head in his arms. “You are so worried about something,” he then said, his expression faltering a bit before falling into one of concern. “You don’t talk about it, but it is very obviously about me in some way,” a leaned forward, resting his head again Charlie’s shoulder. They never stopped their slow dancing. “I don’t know how much longer I can put up this act,” he sighed, “how much longer I can allow you to keep your secrets about me.”

Charlie bit his lip, tensing up as Draco spoke. “It’s not something I want you to hear,” he admitted.

“Is it The Ministry?”

“Yes,” Charlie breathed out, feeling like he had just received a blow to the stomach. 

Draco was silent for a moment. “I suspected as much,” he replied.

The tension was heavy, but the music continued to play, eventually switching over to the next song as they continued to sway in each other’s arms. It was a sadder one than the one before. _ Arioso. _

“One more song,” Draco pleaded, not wanting to completely fall apart. His greatest fears in their marriage were always that The Ministry would somehow create a plan to steal him away from Charlie. He used to have nightmares about it. There were times when he felt like he was being watched on his way to work. He would find himself looking at all of the parents at Emily’s school, studying their faces in order to memorize them and to make sure there was nobody out of place.

“Of course,” Charlie assured, “as many as you’d like.”

Draco nodded against him, trying to tune out the worries in his mind with the music and man before him, holding him, dancing with him. He loved this man, loved him so much. He loved their life together, loved their daughter. He even had learned to love the man’s family, despite all their messy history together. “I love you,” he breathed out, feeling a weight on his chest.

“I love you, too,” Charlie told him, moving his hand up to cradle Draco’s head. He moved his fingers through his soft hair. “I promise to tell you.”

*** 

There had been a man following Charlie. Always following, never approaching. Around town, around London. Sometimes he even would appear at the reserve. He would never speak to Charlie, only observe. Charlie would ask about the man and his co-workers would tell him that the man claimed to be a reporter, doing a story on dragon conservation in an attempt to get more people interested in volunteering across Europe. That was a lie.

It was once Charlie found the man following him through Diagon Ally, walking towards his favorite tree, that he decided to confront him. 

“Tell me why you’re following me,” Charlie demanded, slamming the man against a wall. There was nobody else there, there never really was.

The man smirked at Charlie’s determination. “You are an easy man to follow,” he teased. “There were so many times when you could have confronted me, yet you allowed this to continue.”

Charlie said nothing to that, only pulled out his wand and held it to the man’s throat. “You will speak.”

The man merely chuckled at the threat, empty or not. “I work for a chap by the name of Farley,” he told him.

“Farley?” Charlie asked.

“Of course you wouldn’t recognize the name,” the man replied, “Unlike the rest of your family, you managed to keep out of politics for a majority of your life.”

“So he’s with The Ministry,” Charlie nearly growled.

The man’s smile was all the answer Charlie needed.

“What do you want?” he asked, demanding answers.

“It’s not what I want, it’s what Mr. Farley wants,” the man replied with a cheeky grin that grated on the last of Charlie’s patience. The tip of his wand pushed into the man’s neck further, causing him to wince. “Alright, I’ll tell you where you can find him.”

The man led him to The Ministry headquarters, straight to the man’s office. He seemed unsurprised to find Charlie walk in unannounced, in fact, he seemed to be expecting him.

“We finally meet,” the stranger greeted. He was older than Charlie’s father and far more arrogant looking that Draco had ever looked in Charlie’s time knowing him. Perhaps even more arrogant that Ginny when she came home announcing her engagement to The Boy Who Lived.

“Why have you hired someone to tail me?” Charlie asked, getting straight down to business.

“Nothing for proper conversation, I see,” the man smiled a fake smile, one that Charlie assumed he used often. “So very much a Weasley, aren’t you.”

“Tell me what you want from me,” Charlie continued, ignoring the rude comment.

“Easy,” the man responded, “I wanted to see the man that stole away my prized possession.”

Charlie narrowed his eyes.

“Draco Malfoy was so close to being mine, yet here you are, waltzing into the picture and taking him from me in the blink of an eye,” he continued. “I was going to make that young man my ticket into a secure and happy life, full of riches that the Malfoy family had lined up for their young heir. I look at you, one of the richest wizards in England, and you look like you’re still the poorest pure blood family to ever grace Hogwarts.”

“What the bloody hell are you saying?” Charlie asked, wanting to hex the man in front of him damn near to death for speaking of his husband as if he were a meal ticket. He spoke of Draco as if he were barely a person.

“What I’m saying is that you obviously don’t know what you have acquired, do you?” he replied, his fake smile still in place. “You have all the money you could ever want, the properties passed down through the centuries, and a blond little minx waiting in your bed every night. All of it, stolen from me.”

“You’ve obviously lost your mind, Mr. Farley,” Charlie spoke through his teeth, trying to keep his head. “I will not accept you speaking of my husband in this way. He is not an object one can simply acquire, he is a person.”

“That, Mr. Weasley, is where _ you _ are mistaken,” the other responded. “One Draco Lucius Malfoy does not have any rights. They were stripped away from him once he was charged as a war criminal, working for He Who Must Not Be Named along with his traitorous father. Yes, those charges have since been acquitted under the claim of being forced into it by his family and under the threat of death, however, he was never given back his rights. They were stripped from him by the former Minister of Magic and he had become a liability to the magical world. There have been many powerful people making bids and staking claims on the Malfoy heir, with me coming out on top...that is, until you showed up without our knowledge. That boy had become nothing more than simple cattle up at auction and I had the winning bid. You stole him from me, Charlie Weasley, and I want him back.”

Charlie controlled himself, he did so painfully. He did not scream, he did not yell, and he did not throw any punches. “Mr. Farley, Draco is my husband and there is nothing you can do about that. He is with me,” he spoke slowly and clearly, hating this man in front of him with every fiber of his being, “and I will be damned if I let you touch him.”

“Oh Mr. Weasley, I’m sure there is some way we can work out an arrangement,” the man smiled a bit forcefully. 

“Trust me when I say there is not,” Charlie responded, leaving to the door. “If you come near my family, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

“Your brother is marrying a muggle I hear,” he suddenly spoke up, casually looking at his fingernails. “It would be a shame if that fell through.”

“Are you threatening me, Mr. Farley?” Charlie asked.

“Of course not,” he smirked, no longer smiling that horrible fake smile of his. “I look forward to seeing how their union goes.”

Charlie could not listen to another word that fell from that devil’s mouth. He left the office, seething to himself. That man was a danger to his family. He and Draco had dealt with their fair share of witches and wizards having strong opinions against his husband, but for someone to speak of Draco as property, as property that _ they _ were entitled to, that was something new. It was something...scary. Without Draco’s mother stepping in and asking for help, Draco could have been this man’s, _ this monster’s, _ property...Charlie couldn’t even imagine what a horrible life that would have been. And the way he spoke of Draco...calling him a minx waiting in bed every night...that man was disgusting.

He could hear Mr. Farley’s chuckle as he left, making him feel even more angry.

*** 

Toru held Emily’s hand as they walked through the streets of London. Her fiancé led them, telling her that he wanted to take her to a park so Emily could swing and play with some other kids while they continued to talk a bit more. He had confessed something to her that had caught her completely by surprise, so much so that she isn’t quite sure if she completely understood what he said or if she imagined the whole thing. It wasn’t until he demonstrated with a stick that she realized that her fiancé was no normal person, or perhaps she wasn’t the normal one for him...

Ron turned to look at her, smiling a little bit as they arrived at the park.

Emily let go of her hand, running towards the playground set where other children were already playing.

Ron took her hand that was just holding Emily’s. “We can sit down here and talk a bit,” he suggested.

She nodded in agreement, unsure of what else to do.

They sat for five minutes at least in silence, watching Emily play on the swing set before getting off in order to join another little girl on the seesaw. She was growing older, but she was still such a fun child, loving to play with other kids. Toru saw her fiancé smile as he watched his niece. She felt warmth grow in her cheeks and in her gut as she saw how content he looked. She leaned against him, squeezing his hand a bit, drawing his attention to her.

He wrapped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her against him firmly. “I should have told you this before you got here,” he told her. “I should have done things differently. Should have done all of this differently,” he told her. “I didn’t want to catch you by surprise while you’re already in an unfamiliar place. Toru,” he tried to continue.

“No, please stop,” she cut him off, “I don’t care.”

“What?” he asked.

“You tried to tell me,” she insisted. “You told me your family was different,” she bit her lip, “I just did not know how...different you meant. I don’t care about any of that.”

Ron opened his mouth to respond, but just let out a small sigh.

Toru closed her eyes and snuggled next to Ron. “I will just have to accept this and learn from you.”

Ron couldn’t believe how easy she was accepting this. Perhaps this was just her coping with it. He kissed her forehead. “I promise that I’ll answer any questions you have.”

Toru just nodded, trying to just roll with the punches. It seemed to be the only thing she could do. “When we get home, I would like to ask some questions,” she admitted.

“Of course,” Ron replied, kissing her forehead once again.

*** 

Draco lay in his husband’s strong arms as he held him close. Charlie had drifted off to sleep after they had talked. It was mostly Charlie talking, telling Draco about the man, Mr. Farley, having someone follow him and eventually Charlie confronting him. It was a lot to take in and he suspected that Charlie had not told him everything. He was vaguely familiar with the man’s surname, but he didn’t know where he knew him from. Perhaps he could ask Ron when they returned, or even Granger. She would probably know him for sure, being of such high importance in The Ministry.

Perhaps he didn’t want to know where he knew him from. The man seemed like someone that Draco would never want to meet.

He scooted closer the Charlie, listening to the red head’s heart beat as the sound of his breathing filled their bedroom. The thought of what would happen if Charlie never married him. It was inevitable. With the new knowledge of this Mr. Farley on his scent, he couldn’t help it. Despite that, he found himself drifting. His eyes were getting heavy and the combined sounds of Charlie’s breathing and heart beat was like a lullaby. 

“I love you, Charlie,” he whispered, knowing that Charlie was unable to hear him. 

His eyes closed before his body fell to sleep, mind wondering into the terrible possibility of never marrying his husband.

*** 

His mother cried day in and day out. He couldn’t take seeing her on most days, his heart breaking just as much as hers had. He knew he was doomed, unable to change the cruel strings of fate that guided his life. He would be meeting the man that would be controlling the Malfoy fortune, would be controlling him...

He lay in his room for what surely would be the last time before tomorrow changed him forever. He knew not who the man was, his mother refusing to talk about it. Perhaps she just simply couldn’t speak of it, her voice too consumed with the sorrow she felt. She was about to lose her son, her only child.

The house elves had already been transferred to the new estate that Mr. Farley currently owned, not that Draco had truly noticed. He knew, of course, but he rarely left his room these days. He rarely saw them in the first place. There was not much that could get him to leave.

A knock was heard on the door.

“Draco,” he heard an unfamiliar voice.

He didn’t want to move, but he found himself standing in front of the door, opening it to face whoever was speaking on the other side.

A fake smile greeted him.

“I see you’ve answered quite quickly,” the man stated, looking Draco up and down like he was appraising an item at an auction, “That’s good.” His appearance was blurry, as if Draco wasn’t entirely sure he was _ seeing _ him. His mouth, however, was very clear.

“Who are you?” he asked, not recognizing his own voice that left his mouth.

“Just call me Mr. Farley for now,” the blurry man replied, fake smile still in place. “I’m sure you know what tomorrow is. I just stopped by to see you before I pick you up tomorrow.”

Draco’s head felt heavy and throbbed slightly. This was the man intent on taking him away.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in, Draco?” the man asked, not waiting for his answer before pushing Draco aside. “Now don’t be rude.”

Perhaps he didn’t even need to push him very hard. He seemed to just move with his hand, letting this monster into his room.

“No need to be nervous,” the man said, fake smile still in place, but faltering slightly. “You’re going to be my husband, Draco, you’ll be mine and I’ll have you all to myself.” He chuckled a bit, moving closer to the blond.

Draco took a step back, not wanting the man close to him.

The fake smile fell and Mr. Farley narrowed his eyes as Draco was able to gain more focus on what they looked like. “Do not walk away from me,” he ordered. “I’ve waited far too long for this.” He moved closer yet again, but Draco still moved away. He reached out and grabbed Draco’s thin shoulder, clutching tightly to it.

“Stop,” Draco winced. It hurt. “Let me go.”

“Shut up,” the other growled, “you will do as I say!”

Draco reached for his pocket, finding his wand was not there. Where was it? _ Where was it? _ They took it away from him...

“Tomorrow you will be mine,” Mr. Farley whispered into his ear. _ When did he get so close? _ “Tomorrow can’t come soon enough, though,” the fake smile returned, but it looked far more sinister. 

Draco felt himself want to run, but he couldn’t move his legs to run, he couldn’t move his arms to push him away.

The fake smile grew wider.

Draco tried to open his mouth to scream.

He couldn’t make a sound, he couldn’t make any sound. He screamed, but he couldn’t. Nothing came out. He was sweating; his eyes were wide as he saw the blurred man in front of him move closer, ever so closer. He tried to speak, asking the man to stop, he’d beg, he’d plead. Nothing came out.

Mr. Farley’s eyes bore into him, his lips smirking at him. They were so clear.

He was so close that Draco could see his own reflection in the man’s irises. Bright greens stared back.

*** 

He sat up and screamed as loud as he could. Arms were on him, gripping him, holding him down. He screamed and clawed, fighting back. He screamed, he screamed.

Charlie attempted to dodge the fists coming his way, but the blond moved too fast in his panicked state.

“Draco!” he said, trying to calm his husband down as he took the hits.

Draco’s eyes were an unnatural bright green as he stared at Charlie with a wild look, searching.

“Darling, you gotta calm down,” he tried, “you were having a nightmare.”

Draco’s movements slowed as he let out deep breaths, panting from being so worked up. “Ch...Charlie?” he asked, eyes searching his face for recognition before looking around the room. “I, I was sleeping,” he said, “and I had a nightmare,” he replied before feeling the weight of his exhaustion hit him. He fell into Charlie’s waiting arms, clutching at his husband. He cried, not knowing how to stop himself. He was so scared, he was so tired.

Charlie held him, stroking his hair, not knowing why his husband was so frightened, but he could draw his own assumptions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a long time, but it's here. I have a better idea of the direction the remainder of this fic will be taking. It just seems to have a mind of its own, leading me all over and _ not wanting to end. _
> 
> Hope everyone is doing well out there...stay safe.


	32. Chapter 32

Toru and Ron returned to the Burrow with Emily after another day of taking care of the little girl while Charlie and Draco both went to work. Yet again, Emily wanted to go to the park. “Do you want to meet some of my brothers?” Ron asked hesitantly when they returned.

Toru looked to her fiancé, seeing he was nervous. She took his hand. “I would love that,” she told him.

Emily jumped in at this moment. “Can we go see Uncle George?” she asked, face brimming in excitement.

Ron snickered, ruffling the top of Emily’s head affectionately. “Sure,” he told her, “we need to go see everyone, anyways.”

Emily nodded. “Grandma already said that you better not wait too long to introduce aunt Toru, or she’s going to kill you,” the little girl said with a grin.

Toru laughed at this, fully understanding the meaning of killing someone in a sarcastic sense. Ron had explained it to her many times on their trip to Texas. 

Ron groaned at the mention of his mother. “I suppose we should make it out to the Burrow, as well,” he sighed. “Emily, we are going to have to take the train to Diagon Alley,” he told the young girl. “Do you think you need to go to the loo first?”

She nodded quickly, rushing off to the toilet.

“Diagon Alley?” Toru asked.

“It’s where my brother’s shop is. We will go see George first. If we have time today, we can try to go see some of the others, but I doubt we will have the time with using the trains,” he explained. “Using magic would be faster, but it will stress you out the first time,” he chuckled, pecking Toru’s cheek. “I promise I will show you magic soon,” he assured. “You will defiantly see it today.” He had made sure not to show her much of anything, really, just enough to show her that he wasn’t crazy or making things up.

She nodded in understanding, but still excited to see magic. This was a new part of the world she had come to discover. She was eager to learn more about it and, in turn, more about her soon-to-be husband.

Once they had left and began their journey back to London, Ron had only then begun to realize what time it was. It was not past lunch time and they probably wouldn’t be able to return from Diagon Alley till late into the evening, perhaps past the sun setting. In fact, he was sure they would not return to the Fireseed before the sun had set. He internally groaned, realizing they may miss the last train home...

“Emily,” he began, looking at his niece, “we may end up having to travel home under more...unconventional means,” he told her, making sure there were no others near them to hear. Her blank stare was his reply. “I mean, not by train,” he said upon realizing she may not know what unconventional meant.

“Oooh,” she said before smiling, understanding what he was getting at. “Can Uncle George help?” she asked. 

It was no secret that, due to George’s attentive nature to the girl and occasional spoiling, he had been Emily’s favorite uncle, despite Ron having lived with them. Ron told himself he wasn’t jealous.

Toru looked at them in confusion, before Emily said, “You’ll love it.”

Toru just nodded, accepting whatever came from the day.

By the time they had made it to their station, Emily was ready for a snack, telling Ron that she was a growing girl, something she must have heard Charlie use as an excuse to eat outside of meals. Of course he gave in, buying her something from a small convenience store inside the station. 

“I don’t know why you don’t want to wait,” he told her once she started eating her snack, “you know George will have something for you when we get to the store.” He held on to Toru’s hand with one hand and Emily’s with the other. They may have looked like a couple with their daughter to an outside, something that Ron found to be quite nice to think about with his future wife.

Her mouth opened in shock. “You’re right,” she pouted. “I’ll just have to eat that, too,” she decided, getting over whatever turmoil she was feeling quickly. 

Toru just giggled, enjoying the exchange between the two. Everything was feeling very domestic. Toru hoped that Ron was feeling it, too. She didn’t mind the idea of the two of them expanding their family fairly soon once they married.

At one point in their walk to wherever Diagon Alley was, Ron stopped in front of a small pub called _ The Leaky Cauldron _ where Ron took them inside. There were a few people waving at Ron and calling him by name as they greeted them. He took them to the back where there was a small garden that looked like nobody had tended to it in quite some time. 

“Toru, you must never come here without me or one of my family members,” he told her looking completely serious. “If a muggle is here unattended, I don’t know what The Ministry would do,” he frowned slightly before perking up again. “Just know that sharing this part of my world with you means a lot,” he then said before he pulled out a stick, what he told her was his wand, before tapping on some of the bricks. This part of his world actually accounted for most of his world. Toru’s hand gripped his tighter as they began to move and a whole new world was opened up before her.

*** 

The man no longer watched Charlie at his work, but that did not stop him from following Charlie around the city. Charlie made sure to avoid going to _ Page Turner _ or anywhere near it, although he suspected that Mr. Farley already knew Draco worked there. Still, he dare not risk endangering his husband any further.

He worried about Emily being out with Ron and Toru while he wasn’t there, but he trusted his baby brother to do whatever it took to care for Emily is his place and protect her at all cost. It still didn’t sooth his nerves completely, though. Instead, all he could do was his duty he made to care for the dragons at the sanctuary with his all.

Today, he was in charge of cleaning the stables they kept the newly hatched babies in. For infants, they were certainly messy, something that Charlie was glad he and Draco didn’t have to go through with Emily. There was a lot of mess to clean up...

Needless to say, his tardiness at the sanctuary had not gone unnoticed by the resident dragons, including the babies, who hurried over to him in order to greet him enthusiastically. He noticed them rubbing their faces onto his legs and chests, most likely scenting him with their own scents in order to claim him as their own. He was a favorite around here, after all. It may or may not have anything to do with the fact that he would bring snacks for the dragons when they were in his care. He also loved playing with them and giving them belly scratches when they wanted them. Sometimes it was hard to remember they were as deadly as they could be when they were practically purring as he scratched under their chins as they licked his face in appreciation. 

“I missed you guys, too,” he smiled.

One of the dragons cooed at him cutely, nuzzling against Charlie’s outstretched hand.

*** 

Draco had finished setting the new display at the store when Tanya came up to him, sighing loudly. They had just finally finished their first big rush. It was the weekend and students had flooded in and out, looking for books to read for enjoyment or for required reading.

“What’s up?” he asked her.

“It’s just,” she sighed loudly again, “my sister set me up on a blind date.”

“Oh, that sucks,” he said, moving past her to put away the extra books that he had in his arms.

“Oh, oh!” she began, “why don’t you and Charlie go with me?” she suggested. “A double date!”

Draco chuckled. “A what?”

“You know,” she looked at him a bit confused, “a double date. Surely you’ve done that before.”

“Nope,” he replied.

“What?” she walked over to him, head leaned back, arms slack.

“I’ve only ever been with Charlie,” he told her, “and it’s only been for a few years.”

“Wow, you two just up and got married, didn’t ya,” she smirked.

“It’s not that simple,” Draco blushed, a bit embarrassed by their circumstances, “besides, don’t you have your own love life to worry about?”

“But, I don’t want to worry about mine when yours is just as interesting,” she smirked again, “if not more.”

“What’s so interesting about it?” he asked.

“Well, for starters, it totally sounds like you were part of an arranged marriage,” she said, “Did you even know Charlie before you became engaged?” 

“I knew _ of _ him,” Draco reluctantly replied quieter, adverting his eyes from her. 

“No. Way,” she gasped, hand over her mouth.

He felt so flustered and looked around the store, trying to find a customer that was still in there to help. Unfortunately, it seemed like the last one had already left.

“Wait, get back here and explain,” she said and Draco could hear the begging tone in her voice.

“There’s not much to explain,” he tried, knowing full well that his own story of marriage was a different one for sure.

“Sure, sure,” he could see Tanya rolling her eyes at him.

Draco made a face, but huffed in defeat, knowing that his coworker wouldn’t let up until she was satisfied. “Fine, I’ll tell you,” he said. “He married me to save my family from financial ruin,” he admitted quietly, not wanting anyone else to hear. “My family is pretty well off, but our assets were frozen due to my father. As the heir to all my family’s wealth and assets, I was to inherit it all, but that would not happen until I married. Of course, there were people practically breaking down our door, both men and women. But, my mom didn’t trust any of them and neither did I. She reached out to an acquaintance and Charlie agreed to marry me. He didn’t have any interest in my family’s wealth and legacy, in fact, he doesn’t want any of it, I think.” He made sure to make some minor changes to the story to dull it down a bit.

Tanya’s eyes were as wide as saucer bowls as she continued to listen. 

“Charlie agreed to meet me before we became engaged. I guess he liked me well enough and that day, he proposed. Not all of his family was on board, but we went through with it and I started working here shortly after,” he told her. “We adopted Emily after one of Charlie’s friends passed away in a work accident. Charlie was her godfather,” he finished. “See, not really interesting.”

“Um, excuse me?” she asked once she got over her initial shock. “Are you some kind of millionaire that I don’t know of? Why are you working?” she asked.

Draco rolled his eyes at that because of course she would cling to that. “I don’t own any of my family’s wealth. It’s all Charlie’s as part of the marriage agreement.”

“That sounds pretty fucked up,” she narrowed her eyes. “He makes you work? I totally thought that Charlie was a cool guy!”

“Oh, he doesn’t make me,” Draco put up his hands in defense of his husband. “I want to work, I applied to get a job because I didn’t want to be home all day while he worked. This was before Emily came into my life and now that she is in school, there would be nothing for me to do all day before she came home. Besides, working here is nice.”

“Mmhmm,” she studied Draco’s face, looking for any doubt.

“It’s kinda hard to explain,” he felt himself sweat. There was nothing in the muggle world about his family and he couldn’t explain a whole magical war to a muggle, let alone the magical community.

“What lead to the whole thing?” she asked then. “Like, what did your father do?”

“I, erm, don’t know everything,” he admitted, which was the truth, he didn’t know _ everything _ his father did. “It’s just that the government froze the family assets and my father is in Az-erm, prison, until further notice. The plan was for a government official to marry me in order to obtain the assets, since they couldn’t seize everything with my mother still living.”

“Is this some sort of government cover up?” she asked, moving in closer to Draco, “Are you in witness protection or something?”

“Uh, no,” he replied uneasily.

_ “Obliviate,” _ he heard, turning to see Sydney, wand out and aimed at Tanya. “I can’t believe how stupid you are sometimes,” she muttered under her breath before moving in to address Tanya. “Tanya, Draco agreed to go on that double date with you. Make sure you give him the details and to forget everything else about what he told you about his family and Charlie just now.” She looked over to him, eyes narrowed. “I’ll talk to you later,” she scowled before walking away and into the back office, probably to relax in the enchanted library.

“Oh,” Tanya suddenly said, snapping out of the spell, “I suddenly felt like I forgot something,” she whispered. “Oh well,” she quirked her eyebrow, “so, see you and Charlie next week, yeah? Thanks again for agreeing to go on this double date with me,” she grinned. “I’m really nervous!”

“Uh, yeah, no problem,” he said, trying to smile.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, not believing the smile.

“Nothing, just a bit of a headache came on,” he told her.

“Make sure to take something,” Tanya then said, “There should be some pills for that in my locker if you want any,” she added before going back to her own work.

Draco sighed, regretting ever indulging his coworker for even a moment. He’d have to talk to Sydney and Charlie.

*** 

Toru’s eyes remained wide as she was led through this magical placed Ron and Emily called Diagon Alley.

“There is the store that serves ice cream,” Emily told her, “oh, and there has really good food. Down that street is the book store dad and daddy likes to go to,” she continued.

“How many times have they brought you here?” Ron asked her.

She looked at him and crossed her arms. “Enough,” she replied.

Ron rolled his eyes before looking to Toru, who had not uttered a word the entire time. “Babe, are you okay?” he asked.

“Y-yes,” she nodded, “just...wow,” was all she could get out.

“Wait until you see Uncle George’s shop!” Emily cheered, jumping up and down excitedly.

“We’re almost there,” Ron said, rubbing his thumb across the back of Toru’s hand as they continued to walk through the busy and crowded streets.

“Is it always this busy?” she asked.

“Not usually,” Ron told her, “It’s just the weekend.”

“Sometimes it’s pretty empty,” Emily told her.

Toru just nodded and let her fiancé guide her through as she looked around at all the shops. The people around her dressed differently than other British people dressed, she noticed. They wore dark robes and pointed hats. Some carried staffs, while others didn’t. Tall, short, round, skinny, they were all in robes. It seemed that only Ron, Emily, and herself were the only ones without that outfit on, but nobody looked at them beyond a passing glance or to apologize for bumping into them.

“Are we wearing the right thing?” Toru asked.

“Huh?” Ron turned to her and looked at what they were wearing. “Oh, no it’s fine,” he assured before continuing on through the crowd.

“Come on, come on,” Emily said and she practically drug Ron, and by association Toru, towards _ Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes _ with determination in her step.

Ron sighed loudly, “Let’s just get this over with,” he said. He was obviously nervous, but Toru found it kind of endearing that the man was also eager to introduce his new fiancée to the rest of his family.

They eventually made it to the front of Ron’s brother’s shop, a very wild thing it was. It was obviously a joke shop of some sort and Toru wondered what kind of man George was. She had only met one of Ron’s brothers, Charlie, and he seemed to be the simple sort; he loved his work (whatever it was), he loved sports, and he loved his family. This brother seemed to love his store, at least that was the impression Toru got from how Emily talked about him, and Toru certainly hoped George loved whatever it was he was doing.

“Oh wow,” she said once they had approached it. The building was tall, probably with apartments at the top, and it looked as if there was a large person sticking out of it, lifting his hat at passersby. 

“Pretty ridiculous, isn’t it,” Ron said as they continued on to the door.

“I think it is amazing,” Toru replied.

“Of course,” Ron smiled at her, “I think you’ll find plenty of things amazing today,” he added with a kiss to her cheek.

“Stop acting like my dads and hurry up,” Emily complained, “I wanna see Uncle George.”

“Sure, sure,” Ron chuckled, picking up the pace.

Inside, they were greeted by a floor full of people. Things whizzed through the air, sparkling and making noises.

Toru’s eyes managed to light up even brighter with what she was seeing. 

“Pretty unbelievable, aye?” she heard a voice say into her ear. 

She turned to where the voice was coming from and found a floating pair of lips. “R-Ron,” she stumbled back, into her husband.

The lips laughed. “Come on upstairs,” they said, smiling at her. It was unsettling. Was this normal for wizards?

“Uncle George,” Emily chastised, “don’t scare Toru like that.”

The lips laughed again before whizzing away, up a flight of stairs.

“Come on,” Emily said, pulling Ron and Toru towards the stairs.

“My brother loves his pranks,” Ron told her, clarifying that the lips were George’s, or at least, he was responsible for them.

They went up the stairs and into a room, which Toru discovered to be an office space of sorts. There, she met a tall and skinny red head that defiantly looked related to her fiancé. He wore a cloth hat that covered his ears and clothes that were closer in style to hers, Ron’s, and Emily’s, instead of the people she saw walking outside.

“Uncle George,” Emily greeted with a smile, running up to the man and hugging him. He returned the hug, picking her up and swinging her around in a circle before letting her back down again. Toru thought it was so sweet to see Emily so excited.

“Em, I got something for you to try,” he told her. “It’s a new product, fresh out of the oven and ready for a taste test,” he told her.

“George, I need to take her home in one piece,” Ron sighed.

“Oh come off it, I’m sure Draco will be fine if she turns purple or something,” George rolled his eyes. He then looked over to Toru, “I’m George, by the way,” he greeted, “I’m sure Ron has told you all about me,” he continued with a grin. “Nice to meet you.”

“Toru,” she introduced, “Ron has told me you like pranks.”

“Uncle George and I love pranks,” Emily grinned from ear to ear.

“But remember,” George looked at her, “we can only do them together while you’re still in muggle school. Once you go to Hogwarts, you’ll be able to do them all by yourself.”

She nodded, moving her fingers over her chest where her heart would be in an x movement.

“I’m sure Char and Draco are over the moon with this partnership,” Ron said, shaking his head at the two.

“What can I say?” George grinned, “She’s a girl after my own heart.” He then turned and went to grab something, Emily hot on his heels.

“Sorry babe,” Ron told his fiancée, “George and Emily are practically stuck at the hip.”

She didn’t exactly understand the saying, but could get the gist of what he meant.

George returned with what looked like a basket of baked goods in various colors, one that you would find at a confectionary for a high price. It was very cute.

“Cookies,” Emily cheered.

“Biscuits,” George corrected, chuckling at her American English vocabulary, a vestige from her mother for sure.

“Oh, you bake,” Toru perked up upon hearing, “I enjoy baking, too.”

“Not sure if we use the same ingredients,” George replied with a sly smile.

“I don’t think you want George teaching you,” Ron frowned, looking wearily at the biscuits.

“What do they do?” Emily asked.

“Taste one and find out,” George told her.

Emily snatched one and stuffed it in her mouth before Ron could even open his mouth to protest. Her little eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth and made an o shape, blowing out bubbles f various colors and shapes.

Toru’s eyes were just as wide as Emily’s as she witnessed the scene in front of her.

“Try one,” George offered her. 

She accepted, much to Ron’s surprise. 

Emily’s was yellow, so Toru chose the blue one.

Ron watched as her lips turned a blue color and snowflakes flew from her mouth, piling up into a small mound of snow onto the floor.

_ “Sugoi,” _ Toru stated, shocked at what she had just experienced. “How did you do that?”

“Magic,” George winked.

“Uncle George, when I get older, can you teach me?” Emily asked.

“Of course, my little apprentice,” he cooed, patting her head.

She beamed up at him.

“She is so much like Charlie, I can hardly believe she isn’t his birth daughter,” Ron said more to himself than to anyone in particular.

Toru looked confused at that.

“We can talk about it later,” he told her softly, not wanting to bring up something like that in front of Emily. Thankfully, she was too distracted by George’s latest creation.

“So Toru,” George suddenly said, “my little brother has shown you a bit of magic, aye?” he asked. “Anything you wanted to see or do?”

“Um,” she fidgeted, “I don’t really know anything,” she admitted.

“It’s cool, you’re a muggle, so it makes sense,” George replied.

“Hey, don’t put her on the spot,” Ron huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “She doesn’t know anything about our community.”

“It’s fine,” Toru insisted.

“Flying?” George asked, looking at Toru for a reaction.

She looked mostly confused.

Ron rolled his eyes at his brother. “I already planned on us returning by broom. I’ll need you to fly Emily back. I don’t want to have Toru use the floo or apparate so soon.”

George nodded, understanding. Even for a wizard, apparating was a sensation to get used to. “Well, I can leave the shop to my employees, was there anywhere you all wanted to go?”

“I thought about walking Toru around a bit,” Ron said. “Emily could either join us or stay with you.”

“Let’s all go,” George suggested, “I could stretch my legs.”

Toru grinned, excited to get to know her future brother-in-law better, while Ron frowned a bit, hoping to be alone with Toru a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ummmmm. Yeah, this took a bit.
> 
> I've been kinda busy with work, but it has been pushing me to write more. I have a temporary promotion and it could potentially become permanant. Also, my job has just been declared essential, so if (when) my state shuts down again, I'll still be working. Personally, I see that as a good thing mostly because it continues to push me to write.


	33. Chapter 33

The rush of wind in Toru’s hair felt good as the two brothers sped their brooms through the sky, each being gripped by the girls behind them. Toru wanted to yell or scream, anything to get out all the excitement she was feeling. Her heart pounded against her chest as she looked out in wonder at the city below them. Ron told her before that they would not be seen, that there were spells in place to protect them. She looked over to see Emily smiling big, her tiny arms clutched around George’s middle as she cheered for him to go faster. A mischievous grin was the little girl’s answer as the two sped off in front of Ron and Toru.

“Hold on tight,” her fiancé told her before pushing leaning down and speeding them along. Toru gripped Ron tightly, keeping her face to his back as they tried to catch up to the other two.

She loved the feeling of him against her, nearly as much as she loved the feeling of speeding through the air. She fully understood that Ron’s world was infinitely different than her own, so different that she couldn’t even begin to truly understand it, but she wanted to so badly.

They swept through the streets, went in between buildings, and eventually hit the edge of the city. There were a few other people on brooms that Toru saw, but they seemed to dismiss them as easily as she would dismiss another person walking the street. For them, it was normal. She loved that.

The countryside was soon upon them and Ron continued to race George, George just happened to be the better flier, it seemed.

“I can’t believe you beat me,” Ron said once they landed.

“What can I say, little brother?” George grinned.

“We smoked you!” Emily cheered, her windblown hair a messy tangle. She turned to her Uncle George, “Can you teach me how to fly like you do?” she asked. “Daddy won’t let me,” she pouted, obviously referring to Draco. The blond had turned into quite the protective worry wart when it came to his and Charlie’s daughter.

“I’ll have to get permission,” George pouted, not wanting to face either his brother’s or his brother-in-law’s wrath if they found out he was considering teaching Emily in secret. He wasn’t _ that _ reckless. At least, not until she started school.

*** 

Draco stood outside of the restaurant that he was given the address to go meet Tanya and her date.

“Come on, love,” Charlie said with a big grin. Of course he found the whole situation hilarious and was all aboard.

Draco groaned, wanting nothing more than to enjoy the time alone with his husband with Emily gone with Ron and Toru for the day. “Let’s get this over with,” Draco said, taking Charlie’s hand and letting himself be lead into the unknown.

*** 

“When are you two going to actually have the wedding?” George asked, sipping from his tea cup in the Fireseed living room.

“After Toru meets mum and dad,” Ron told him. 

“Grandma will love Toru,” Emily said with a smile.

“Let’s hope that, darling,” George smirked at Emily, ruffling her hair. “Draco is going to have a heart attack once he sees the state of your hair,” he chuckled.

Emily frowned, moving to sit in front of Toru.

“She is hard?” Toru asked. “What does she look for in her children’s’ spouses?”

“Not sure, really,” Ron admitted.

“To not exist, perhaps?” George asked his brother, being serious to a point, but not able to stop the little laugh that crept into his voice. “She loves Draco, though,” he pointed out.

“I don’t see why,” Ron frowned.

“Aye, I thought you two were getting along,” George frowned.

Toru sat silently, listening to the two while she began attempting to detangle Emily’s hair.

“We are,” Ron assured, “I just don’t know why she was so adamant about their marriage,” he said.

“No, no, I think it’s just you are jealous,” George said. “We all remember how mum acted when you proposed to Hermione. She got all weird around her, like she didn’t know Hermione anymore or that she forgot all about her being a family friend. She did something similar with Harry, not letting him sleep anywhere near Ginny’s room and all. Was the complete opposite with Draco, she pushed them together, asked Charlie to get involved and we both know why she did it.”

Ron adverted his eyes, knowing it was true. “She is just so weird about everything when it comes to her children.”

“She’s a mum,” George argued, “of course she is going to be protective of us.”

“She invited that snake into our home and made him family,” Ron’s eyes narrowed at his brother and he was practically shouting.

Toru’s eyes grew wide and she stood up, ushering a shocked Emily out of the room as fast as she could.

“Calm down,” George told his brother, a threat hiding in his tone. “You’re referring to one of Emily’s fathers right in front of her, who happens to be our brother-in-law. Remember that. He’s come a long way from where we met him. He’s changed and quite frankly I like this new Draco.”

“Of course you do,” Ron rolled his eyes, let his shoulders relax. “I like this new change, too,” he admitted, “sorry.”

George wasn’t going to let it just slide, though. No, this was something that had been irking him for a while now. “What would you have done if it was someone from our family?” he asked. “What if it was Percy? Merlin love him, but we all know that he was working against us in that war, he was allied with Fudge until that fell to shit. Scrimgeour. Ron, he worked with Umbridge. It took Thicknesse for Percy to finally get those thumbs out of his ears and for him to use that thick head of his. We still love him, though, we all forgave him. What if it didn’t work out that way, Ron? What would have happened if Percy stayed with them until the bloody end? What if he was recognized as being a traitor?”

Ron’s eyes were wide at his brother’s outburst.

“I’ll tell what would happen,” George gritted his teeth, “Mum would have been in tears to today as he was removed from the home and thrown in Azkaban for being a traitor or worse. He could have been killed. He could have been abused for political power by one of those scummy suit wearers that are trying to control the Malfoy family, or at least what is left of them.”

“George,” Ron tried weakly.

“No Ron, _ you will listen to me,” _ he roared, not caring if he yelled, “Percy was a traitor and he chose that, Draco was forced into it. We forgave our brother and so did the rest of the world, so why can’t Draco get that same forgiveness?”

Ron’s mouth closed as he listened to George.

“Of course I didn’t like Draco in school,” George then said, “I hated him maybe, and when he sided openly with Voldemort, I hated him for sure. When Fred died, I wished it were him instead, wished it were a million different people, even. When the trial happened and he was acquitted, I didn’t want to believe it and when Charlie told us he was going to meet him, I wanted to scream. Ron, you know more than anyone what that little shit is capable of, but when Charlie asked him to marry him, that was the first time I thought that maybe there was more to that little blond traitor than met the eye. Charlie wouldn’t go along with this unless he believed that he could make things work out between the two of them and we both know that is how our brother is, how he thinks. Merlin, he’s been single for ages, never bringing anyone home and never speaking of any prospects or anything related to his love life other than some hook ups and short flings that were doomed from the beginning. He marries this man that was part of the reason our brother is dead, there had to be more to Draco than what we knew.”

George takes a breath, letting it out shaken. “Charlie brought in Emily and Draco embraced it. He allowed me to have this niece and I’m forever grateful to him for letting me meet her. She brings smiles to my face effortlessly, makes me laugh, and she is always there to bring in more pranks, more jokes. Sometimes it’s like Fred never left.”

*** 

Tanya’s date was the type of guy Draco probably would have went for if he wasn’t married; devilishly handsome, obviously familiar with the power of money, groomed to immaculate perfection, and the type of guy that any mother would want their child to become well acquainted with. Well, perhaps the type of guy Draco would have wanted back in school, back before the war. What was Tanya doing with this man that obviously was from a different word than her?

Charlie had been tense from the moment they sat down, the complete opposite of how he was when they were standing outside. Draco just assumed that the realization of a double date was more unfamiliar to him than it was to Draco. It was a bit awkward to watch Tanya and her date, named Theodore with no last name given, flirt. Perhaps she didn’t need Draco there for support after all.

There was some tension from Charlie’s part, but Draco just didn’t understand it. He took Charlie’s hand from under the table, causing his husband to relax just a sliver. When Theodore excused himself to the toilet, Tanya beamed about him, praising his good looks and his manner of speaking. She was overly grateful for Draco agreeing to come, but that she was now ready for some one on one time with Theodore, if he would be so kind. Draco agreed immediately, pulling a silent Charlie to leave with him after throwing some money to Tanya to pay for their unfinished meal.

“What the hell was wrong with you back there?” Draco asked, looking more concerned at his husband than anything.

“I know him,” Charlie told him once they had walked a bit further away from the restaurant, “He works for Mr. Farley.” 

Draco turned to look back at restaurant, as if he could see Tanya and Theodore at that moment.

“He was there when I went to confront Mr. Farley in his office,” Charlie said.

“I’m going back in there,” Draco told Charlie, breaking away from him and storming back into the restaurant in determination before seeking out the bathroom.

*** 

Emily and Toru were in Emily’s room, sitting on the little girl’s bed. “Uncle Ron and Uncle George are fighting,” she said, almost too quiet to hear. She sounded a little scared.

“It will be okay,” Toru told her, “besides, we still need to fix your hair,” she added, wanting to distract Emily, as well as herself, from the bomb that had gone off in the other room. She was thankful that the whole house seemed to be sound proof, although she suspected that it had something to do with magic.

“Can you give me a Japanese braid?” 

Toru smiled at her. “I will give you a famous bun head style,” she told her.

Emily’s lips turned upwards into a smile, excited to have Toru fix her hair.

*** 

The bathroom was one that held multiple urinals and closed door toilets. Draco walked in, looking for Theodore, finding the man splashing water onto his face. Once Theodore realized there was someone else in the room, he snapped his head to see Draco was there and pissed off.

If Draco had held his anger back, he would have noticed how out of sorts Theodore was. He perhaps would have saw how Theodore looked incredibly uncomfortable to be there, even before Draco was noticed.

“You,” Theodore said, caught off guard.

Draco grabbed him and apparated out of the bathroom.

Theodore’s head was spinning, not prepared for the sudden spell.

Charlie apparated moments later, joining Draco. He grabbed Theodore by his soft sweater’s collar and slammed him against the brick wall. 

Theodore realized they were in some sort of warehouse, probably near the pier.

Draco took the wand that was protruding out of his pocket, confiscating it to ensure Theodore couldn’t easily escape.

“What are you trying to do? Huh?” Charlie demanded, looking angrier than Draco had even seen him.

“W-what?” Theodore asked.

“Tanya,” Draco clarified, “What do you want with her?”

“Tanya?” Theodore asked, not being able to see what his blind date had anything to do with him getting kidnapped by the object of his boss’ desire.

“Yes,” Draco growled, “Why did you bring her into this? She’s a muggle, she doesn’t know anything about the magical world.”

“Tanya is my blind date,” Theodore stated, trying to pull himself together. “All my plan was was to go on a blind date with this girl, only to find that two people that had been put under my radar suddenly appear under the guise of Tanya’s friends. You two planned something,” he retorted, “You two are the one that are trying to get information out of me! Is Tanya in on this?”

Draco looked to Charlie, who was just as confused.

“How can we believe you?” Charlie asked. “You work for Mr. Farley, right?”

“Yes,” Theodore admitted quickly and easily, “I do work for him and I know what he is trying to do regarding you,” he looked pointedly at Draco, quickly realizing what they must have thought. “Oh,” was all he said, stopping himself from speaking further.

“Exactly,” Draco stated.

“Was this just some coincidence?” Charlie asked.

“I had to take a breather and making an excuse to go to the bathroom was the only thing I could think of,” Theodore told them. “I thought you two were after me or something.”

“It was the same for us,” Charlie admitted. “I thought that you were threatening Tanya in front of us,” he continued, “like you were displaying how far you could go to get Mr. Farley’s plan to work.”

“Let me stop you right there,” Theodore said, “Mr. Farley is merely my employer,” he told them. “I’m just his accountant and I have no say in what he does, although he does tell me about Draco simply because Mr. Malfoy’s assets were in question at one point. To be honest, there is a lot on my plate as of recently and I’ve considered moving my services to a different location or a different employer just for the fact that it is becoming more and more dangerous to employ oneself with a conspirator of the old Ministry.”

“Then why were you in his office that day when I showed up?” Charlie asked.

“I was meeting with him to discuss a potential investment he was planning on taking,” Theodore told them. “It was just for a restoration campaign he was interested in helping fund for the city. Something to get him considered for a higher position by the people.”

Charlie frowned, not liking the idea of that man looking like some sort of financial hero.

“So you’re saying your date with Tanya is real?” Draco asked him, trying to just get to the point.

“And that you have nothing to worry about regarding any of this reaching Mr. Farley’s ears,” Theodore assured.

“And if you’re lying?” Charlie asked, pushing him into the wall a little harder.

“I’m not!” Theodore pleaded.

“How do we know?” Charlie asked, demanding some sort of insurance.

“You know where I work,” Theodore told him, “you could just come in and beat me to a pulp if you wanted.”

“Charlie,” Draco said, calling Charlie off his husband from inevitably injuring of the man.

“We’ll contact Harry or Hermione,” Charlie said, “Get someone to keep an eye out on you. Perhaps even set something more permanent in place.”

Draco looked over to his husband wearily. This was a side of Charlie that was honestly a bit scary.

“H-Harry Potter?” Theodore asked.

“My brother-in-law,” Charlie clarified.

“Of course,” Theodore said with an audible gulp.

“Charlie,” Draco said, “I think we can trust that he knows the severity of the situation, least he cross us.”

“Yes, I do,” Theodore quickly agreed.

“Perhaps we should let him get back to his date,” Charlie then said.

“Tanya probably thinks he ditched her,” Draco sighed, “You better not disappoint my friend,” Draco then told him.

“I won’t!” Theodore said, “I actually like her.”

Draco studied him before deciding that the man was telling the truth. “You better not hurt her, either,” he told him, “Because I’ll find you if you do.”

The man nodded in understanding before Draco grabbed him from Charlie, apparating him back into the bathroom.

“Make her happy,” Draco told him, slipping the man’s wand back into his pocket before apparating out, back to Charlie.

*** 

George had not stopped crying and Ron didn’t know what to do besides sit there and let his older brother grieve.

A crack in the door down the hall notified him that Emily or Toru or both were about to make their reappearance. 

“Uncle George?” He heard Emily’s small voice. “Uncle Ron?”

“We’re here,” George said, still looking horribly sad, eyes puffy and red. 

Emily ran in and up to George. “Uncle George, why are you sad?”

A hugged her close to him and let out a shaky breath. “How can I be sad when you’re here?” he asked her. “You make me laugh and feel really happy.”

Emily looked over to Ron for answers, but the man could give her none. 

“Perhaps it’s time I should go,” George then said, pulling away from Emily and stepping up. “It was nice meeting you, Toru,” he told his future sister-in-law. “Bye, Em,” he then said, hugging the quiet Emily once again before going to the fireplace and flooing away quickly.

Emily once again looked over to Ron, who was looking at Toru with unreadable eyes.

*** 

The office to his shop didn’t hold any relief as he collapsed as soon as he stepped out of the fireplace. “What a fool I have become,” he said to himself. Nobody would disturb him in his office.

George Weasley laid on the floor for over two hours, thinking about how his brother’s smile would break out at the drop of a hat, a clear sign he had been scheming in his head about a new prank. He then thought about Emily, the little girl that had become his first niece. Parts of Emily were so different from his twin, but there were also parts of her that were unbelievably and undeniably Fred Weasley. He couldn’t let himself confuse them. His brother was dead and gone. Nothing could change that, nothing. Not even a ghost to cling to. He would make up for this. He had left Emily in a state without an explanation. He would be the best uncle she could ever ask for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That took a while...
> 
> A quick update on my life,  
There will probably be larger gaps in chapters...unfotunatly... BUT! It's because I got a promotion at work and will be working much longer and on more days than I have been. I'm practically full time at this moment without it being official. 
> 
> I do plan on finishing this story, so don't think I've forgotten about it or anything.
> 
> Thank you for your patience.
> 
> Also, the Japanese braid I had in mind was Usagi's hair in Sailor Moon. I grew up calling it "meatball head" hair, but with the new dub out, "bun head" really does make more sense.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.


End file.
